by Mari Carr
“Lick your lips.”
“This is silly,” she protested, though her words were weak at best.
“I’m going to kiss you, Teagan.”
“I don’t kiss women,” she joked, trying to regain control of the moment.
He grinned crookedly and she wondered if he could hear the unbearably loud pounding of her heart. He grasped her hand, dragging it along the front of her skirt, letting her feel the hardness of his cock buried beneath the flowing material. “Lucky for me I’m not a woman.”
He bent forward, capturing her lips in a kiss. She was stunned by the gentleness, expecting him to simply step forward and capture, claim. He struck her as a man who took what he wanted, but this kiss felt more like a softly spoken request. He eased her into it, taking only what she was willing to give, slowly moving her down the path to more. His tongue prodded against her mouth and she parted her lips, welcoming him inside as she reached up to grip his shoulders. Her knees went weak and she found herself relying on his strength. His hands engulfed her waist and she moaned as his hard-on pushed against her stomach.
How long they kissed, she couldn’t say, but she suspected Ewan had been clearing his throat for several moments before either of them realized he was in the closet.
“There are so many things wrong with what I’m seeing right now, I’m not sure what to react to first,” he said as she and Sky turned to face him.
Sky laughed at the confused look on her brother’s face as he took in their attire—or more correctly, her lack of attire. She knew instantly he’d made a major mistake as Ewan’s eyes narrowed angrily. “I’m going to kick your ass, music boy.”
Sky put his hands up in a gesture of peace when Ewan took a step toward him. “Not yet, you aren’t. What’s the story with the paparazzi? Did they see you?”
Ewan seemed as confused by Sky’s response as she was. What did he mean by “not yet”?
“They’re still here and they’ve surrounded the place. Quite a few have set up shop in the back,” her brother replied slowly.
“Fuck, we were too slow. Are they inside the pub?” Sky asked.
“No, Pop told them you weren’t here and there wasn’t room in the pub for all their damn equipment. He gave them the boot. Told them if they wanted to make asses of themselves, they could do it outside.”
“So they’ve basically still got a bird’s-eye view of the pub through that plate-glass window,” Sky said, his words a statement rather than a question.
“We can close the blinds,” she suggested. “That would make it hard for them to see anything at all.”
“No,” Sky said, rejecting the idea immediately. “That would just make them suspicious, confirm their belief that I’m here.”
“They know you’re here. I’m not sure what this costume change is going to prove,” Ewan pointed out.
“I was hoping to make a dash out the back door, but it looks like that plan is shot to hell.” Sky turned and looked at her. “Hey, that staircase in the pub. Where does it lead?”
She studied his face and realized he was already hatching a new plan. The man was amazing at subterfuge and escape tactics. “My family’s apartment. But the only other exit once you get up there is a fire escape that leads to the back alley. According to Ewan, the cameramen are there as well now.”
“Do you think your pop would mind if I hid out upstairs for a while? I could lie low until the paparazzi give up and then call Marty, my manager. See if he can arrange discreet transportation through the hotel. There’s a secure entrance there and so far no one has figured out I’m staying in Baltimore for sure.”
“I think Pop would be okay with that,” she answered.
“Why are we even bothering with this?” Ewan interjected. “The jig is up. They know you’re here.”
“No, Ewan, they don’t know I’m here. They only suspect I am. Besides, need I remind you that I won the bet? That means Teagan and I are going to start writing songs for my next album. I’d prefer if we were able to do that in peace without having a bunch of cameras dogging our every move. If we can convince them it was you they saw, they’ll think they’ve gotten a false report and split. I’ve got a friend I can call once I make it up to your apartment who can help me convince them they’ve made a mistake.”
“So what’s the new plan?” her brother asked. Teagan was surprised by his easy capitulation. It was clear Ewan still wanted to exact a bit of his annoying brotherly retribution on Sky for kissing her, so she couldn’t understand his sudden willingness to go out of his way to help the man.
“I want you and Tris to distract the paparazzi—maybe get into a bit of a fight—while I walk upstairs. I don’t think anyone will think much of a woman leaving the room during a brawl, if they even see me at all. Teagan, do you think you could recruit some help from your pop and his friends?”
“I’m sure I could. What do you want us to do?”
“I need the men to position themselves around the fight in such a way that I can walk along that back wall to the stairs undetected from the street.”
She nodded. His plan was a good one and surprisingly well thought out, considering he was planning on the fly. “That’s no problem.”
“Here,” Ewan said, thrusting a pair of jeans at her. “Put these on.”
She dressed while Ewan donned Sky’s cap and stood still as Sky carefully applied the beard to his face.
“It’s not ideal,” Sky said when he completed the makeover. “But at least there’s enough stickiness left to the glue to hold the thing in place. Just don’t get too overzealous in the fight or the damn beard will fall off.”
“I can handle my part,” Ewan growled and Teagan feared this pretend fight with Tris would just be a warm-up for the real thing when they all got up to the apartment.
“Why don’t you head out to the pub and let your pop and Tris in on the plan?” Sky suggested to Ewan.
“Come on, Teagan.” Ewan tried to capture her hand and she knew hell would freeze over before her brother left her in the closet alone with Sky again. She started to follow, but Sky—foolish man—stopped her before she reached the door.
“Thanks for the clothes,” he said with a charming grin.
She returned the smile. “I think I’m going to have to reevaluate my wardrobe choices. It sucks that my clothes are big enough to fit you and I’m seriously annoyed by the fact they look better on you than me.”
Sky laughed and leaned forward to whisper in her ear, his tone teasing and light, “Nothing would look better on me than you.”
Teagan was thankful he’d spoken it too softly for Ewan’s ears. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Rock stars,” she murmured with a giggle before leaving the closet and heading back to the pub.
Chapter Three
Sky made his way up the stairs to the apartment above the pub. He could hear the scuffling noises of Tris and Ewan’s pretend fight going on below, the patrons of the bar cheering them on. He grinned at how real the brawl had looked and determined the Collins brothers were no strangers to kicking each other’s asses. Food for thought, since he’d certainly raised Ewan’s ire in the closet. He mentally shrugged. The situation probably had looked bad from a brother’s standpoint. He’d taken Teagan’s clothes, leaving her in nothing but a T-shirt, and had been kissing her as though his life depended on it. The thought of her lips against his, her body pressed close…he shook his head to jar the memory loose. She was just a woman. He’d kissed thousands of them. No big deal.
So why did kissing Teagan Collins feel different?
“Fuck,” he muttered to himself. “I don’t have time for this.” As he’d cut through the pub, he’d avoided looking directly out the window toward the paparazzi, but he felt quite certain no one had seen him or the cry would have been sent up. As far as he could tell, the press was enjoying the show the Collins men were putting on too much to notice the drag queen in the back.
He pulled his cell phone out of one of the deep pockets in
Teagan’s skirt. He’d tucked it in there earlier and he chuckled as he looked down at himself in her flowing, colorful garments. He felt like a damn fool. He hit speed dial as soon as he entered the apartment, shrugging the loose blouse over his head at the same time.
“Natalie,” he said, when his friend answered the phone.
“Mitch, you asshole. Where the hell have you been? Palm Springs sucks without you.”
“You don’t miss me, babe. Just my bar and my pool and my mansion,” he teased.
“That hurts, man. I swear to God I thought you knew me better than that.”
“Oh sweet Nat, I know you far too well.”
They both laughed as she conceded his point.
“I need a favor,” he said.
“Anything.”
One of the things he liked best about Natalie Miller was her unwavering friendship. She and Rod were the only remaining links he had to his younger days, to the days before he was Sky Mitchell, rock star. They’d been his friends in high school, back when he was just plain old Mitch Adams. Since then, their lives had taken them in different directions but their friendship had never wavered, never died. Rod had gone into real estate, Natalie into photography, and he’d struck it big on the stage.
“I need to lay down a false trail.”
“Goddamn vultures. Found you again, eh?” Natalie asked. Her distaste for the paparazzi, if not stronger, certainly seemed to match his level of abhorrence.
“Yep.”
“I’m on it. I’ve got some great shots from that long weekend you, Rod and I took in Cancun that I haven’t shown anybody. I’ll let a couple of you walking on the beach slip to the right people. Fucking idiots will run up a hell of a travel bill breaking their necks to get to Mexico.” She laughed and Sky grinned at her deviousness.
Over the years, they’d started tricking the press as a means of escape for Sky. Natalie took pictures of him everywhere they went together, but never published them. Whenever he needed a break, she simply slid a few shots to the paparazzi under an assumed name, insinuating that she’d just taken them. She always got a nice chunk of change from the deal and Sky usually found some peace and quiet as the press traveled to whatever location she gave. She claimed the entire portfolio was her retirement plan. Once Sky gave her the go-ahead, she was going to publish a photo biography of him and, as she said, “sit back and roll in the dough.” Until then, she had her own little studio and seemed content in her job, taking photos for weddings and other special occasions.
Sky secretly hoped he maintained enough popularity to make Natalie’s dream come true for her someday. She’d been a genuine friend, through thick and thin, never once betraying him in hopes of a quick buck. She deserved a bit of easy street.
“So are you still at that swanky hotel in Baltimore?” she asked.
“I’m in Baltimore, but not at the hotel.”
“Oh?” she asked, the question dripping with curiosity.
“You wouldn’t believe where I was if I told you,” he teased, dangling the truth in front of her.
“Tell me,” she demanded.
“I’m in an apartment above an Irish pub dressed in the hippie skirt of a woman I just kissed in a storage closet.”
“Shut up!”
“I’m serious,” he said with a laugh. “I was going stir-crazy in that hotel even with Rod, so we decided to go out for a bite to eat.”
“I thought Rod was leaving tonight on the red-eye,” Natalie said.
“He is. He went back to the hotel to pack and rest up for a while. I decided to hang around.”
“Is Rod feeling better? He had a pretty nasty cold when he left here.”
Sky sighed. “I told him to go to the doctor when he gets home. Poor guy slept the whole time he was here and he still doesn’t look good. He says it’s allergies.”
“I’ll nag him when he gets back.”
Sky grinned. Natalie was the supreme champion nagger.
“So you stayed behind at the bar? Alone?” she asked. He could tell from her tone she disapproved of him taking such a chance.
“The atmosphere was nice in the pub and I thought I might be able to pound out a few more lines of the song I’ve been working on.”
“I take it the decision to hang around was a wrong one.”
Sky considered her comment. Truth of the matter was, staying behind was probably one of the smartest things he’d ever done. Teagan was an unexpected treasure. He wasn’t quite sure what the heck to do about her yet, but he fully intended to latch on to her talent for songwriting and possibly to any body part she’d let him touch. He hadn’t been interested in or attracted to another woman since the Holly fiasco. Teagan had reignited his libido and her continued denial of his pursuit just spurred him on. God, he loved a challenge.
“Not necessarily,” he said.
“Well, hell. It’s the hippie, isn’t it?”
“She’s a songwriter. I challenged her to a contest and won. She now has to spend the next few weeks helping me write the songs for my solo album.”
“Mmm hmm,” Natalie hummed, her suspicion of the truth behind his reluctance to leave resonating in the sound. “She wouldn’t also happen to be spending these next few weeks warming your bed, would she?”
Sky hoped so, but to hear Natalie word it so callously left him feeling a bit dirty inside. He hadn’t seriously dated a woman since Holly, instead drifting from faceless woman to faceless woman. He hadn’t exactly been promiscuous and he figured he wasn’t a typical rock star in that regard. He didn’t carve notches in his bedpost or keep a list for the day when he could write a tell-all about his wild years as a sex maniac. He just hadn’t bothered to get to know any of the women he’d dated recently. He was looking for some good times at the moment, in and out of the bedroom, and as long as a woman didn’t mind his lack of desire for a commitment, he was good. Once the talk turned to relationship, he hit the road.
“Wait a minute,” Natalie said, her voice rising. “Back up the bus. Did you say solo album?”
“I’ve definitely decided to leave The Universe,” he confirmed. “I haven’t told anyone except you and Teagan yet, so let’s keep that on the DL.”
“Teagan, huh? Pretty name. Okay, mum’s the word. So what’s the plan for tonight?” Natalie asked.
He looked around at the Collins’ apartment, taking in his surroundings for the first time. The living room was surprisingly spacious and he realized the family must inhabit the entire second floor. A staircase leading to the floor above insinuated they owned the entire building. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “Even if you sneak the photos to your contact tonight, I don’t think the assholes down on the street will get the word right away. I may have to lie low here for a while, and then try to sneak back to the hotel. I’ll call Marty later and see if he can hook me up with a ride.”
“Is Marty in Baltimore?” Natalie asked.
“No, he’s coming down next week to get things rolling for the Thanksgiving concert. Until then, I’m on my own.” Sky heard footsteps on the stairs. “Hey listen, I gotta go. Do you mind calling Rod and letting him know I won’t be able to see him off? Explain what happened.”
“No problem. Behave yourself, Mitch.”
He grinned at her usual comment. “You too, Nat.”
“And be careful, you freak. A hippie,” he heard her murmur as she clicked off. Natalie never said goodbye. It was a strange quirk of her character he found annoying and endearing at the same time.
As he turned, Tris, Ewan and Teagan emerged from below. Tris had a split lip and Ewan was sporting a large bruise on his forehead. Sky noted that—mercifully—the fake beard had remained in place. Teagan looked around the room and he could see she was confused.
“Problem?” he asked.
“Where’s Riley?” she asked, concern written on her face. He noticed her brothers took the unexpected absence of their sister in stride.
“Who the hell knows? That girl comes and goes whenever the f
uck she pleases,” Tris grumbled, clearly annoyed by his inability to control this younger, wilder sibling Sky had yet to meet.
He watched as the three of them moved toward the kitchen area—separated from the living room by a wide, long bar—and worked as a team to wash away the blood and grab some ice packs. He marveled at their silent, well-rehearsed collaboration and wondered if perhaps his parents hadn’t planned their family well. He wasn’t exactly a stranger to large families as he was the middle child of three, but his eldest brother was six years older and his baby sister was four years younger. Fights were few and far between in his childhood home, while he thought they seemed to be rather commonplace amongst the Collins kids, who all looked to be about the same age. In fact, as he watched them work, he was struggling to figure out who was the oldest.
“Okay,” Teagan said at last as she blotted at a bit of blood that had dripped onto Tristan’s shirt. “If you take that off now, I can soak it and I don’t think it will stain.”
Tris removed his shirt, surrendering it to his sister, and again Sky was struck by the family’s closeness. Modesty didn’t seem to exist either.
“I want to thank you all for helping me dodge the photographers down there. I’ve called a friend and I’m pretty sure the paparazzi will start to leave soon. We’re laying down a false trail. Once the coast is clear, I’ll take off,” Sky said.
“Actually,” Ewan added, “I think you should plan on spending the night here. There’s an extra bed in my room you can bunk in.”
Sky watched Teagan’s eyes widen with surprise at her brother’s offer and he chuckled. “Not planning to smother me in my sleep, are you?” he joked.
“Why would he do that?” Tris asked suspiciously.
“No reason,” Ewan added quickly and Sky realized the man didn’t intend to tell his brother about catching him kissing their sister in the closet. “Sky pointed out downstairs that he and Teagan are going to be working together on writing songs. I think they should do that writing here, rather than in a hotel room.” Ewan emphasized the word hotel and Sky watched the light go on in Tristan’s head.