by Ava Walsh
“She’s growing up too fast,” his publicist sniffled before she went into her business tone. “So Dec sent me a crazy idea.”
“He mentioned it to me,” Brent said, and she sighed.
“I think that it’s a bit risky, but Riley would be perfect for a cover. She’s young enough to be realistic, doesn’t have anything they can trash her for on her record and would do this for you as a friend,” Kenzie told him. Brent acknowledged that she was right with a nod that she couldn’t see. Riley, in all of her disappointment in him, would still help him out because she believed in him. “Just don’t take this too far, if she happens to go for it. She’s my baby sister, Brent.”
“I’m aware,” he said. He looked up at Riley as she pointed her camera at him to snap a picture.
“You’re so photogenic,” she gushed, as he ended the call and set the phone on the table. Her phone rang, and she answered it easily with a smile. Riley frowned and stood up to go outside as Brent clenched his fists under the table. That had to be Kenzie with the idea, and a part of him wanted to stand up and put a stop to the entire thing for a moment.
Declan came back with two beers and a red drink. “Where’s Ri?”
“I think she’s talking to your sister,” Brent replied, as Declan raised an eyebrow and sat down. “She seemed to think it was a decent idea.”
“It is,” Declan agreed, as he slid one of the beers towards his friend. “I mean, she’s here, and you guys could just fall into this. It’s almost too easy.”
They looked up at Riley, who walked back in and slipped into the booth. She took a long drink of the bloody Mary and looked between the guys. Her gaze lingered longer on Brent, and her cheeks flushed and she looked at the table. “That was Kenzie.” She looked at her brother. “You know about her idea?”
“We both do,” Brent told her, and she stared back at him.
“What? Oh.” She flushed again, and Brent leaned forward.
“This is just a front, Ri. Nothing more. The band’s pissed at me, and we’re on this big tour. It would get the chatter quieted down quickly, and it wouldn’t be anything to worry about,” Brent assured her. Then he thought of something else. “Hell, Ri. I’ll pay for school for the year if you do this.” He was scared that this was going to affect them and his future, and he felt himself start to sweat. “I can’t mess up with the guys.”
She stared at him, and Declan looked at him with surprise on his face. “It’s worth that?”
“Yes,” Brent said. “Besides, you can’t drop out of school. You’re so good at what you do.”
“Just like you can’t leave the band because you’re so good at what you do,” Riley said, as she smiled at him and looked down at the table. “I mean, it can’t hurt things. It’s a few pictures and sightings, right?”
“Right,” Declan told her. “Do this for school. You know that Mom and Brad don’t have the cash to send you to Parson’s, and this is easy.” She’d already waited to go, to begin with, while their dad considered sending her after their parents had split up seven years ago.
“Ugh, okay. I guess I will. How do we start this?” Riley asked, and Brent found himself wanting to smile at her. He held it in and nodded.
“Brent will be noticed, and you’ll be with him. That’s a good start. After that, the more he’s seen with you, the more people will speculate. Maybe it’ll get their minds off of last night,” Declan suggested, and Riley looked at Brent.
He could still see the kid in her, but there was so much maturity in those eyes, so much intelligence. She was something, and he smiled at her and nodded. “Yeah. Even today. I’ll take off the sunglasses and see who notices me.”
“Sounds good.” They enjoyed their drinks as they chatted and when they left, Brent slid the sunglasses back on. He still hated bright sunlight and, looking at Riley, he wanted to give her a little peace before she was dragged into his world. Come to think of it, he was enjoying being anonymous after last night and this morning as well.
They wandered around a bit more and found a swamp tour that was leaving in a few moments. Riley then noticed all of the old cemeteries and looked at the guys with pleading eyes. “The pictures that I could take!”
“Fine,” Brent said, as Declan mock threw up his hands. They did that for the next couple of hours and found a place for dinner with the band since Gary had sent a message to find out what they were up to. The group was meeting at BB Kings for some grub and music, and Brent approached his band mates with a curious look on his face.
“We good?” Brent asked. Chad, the guitarist, glanced at the other guys before he turned to Brent.
“You need to get your shit together. I know you’ve been through stuff, but this? This is our future.” Chad gestured to the group of five with his hand, and Brent looked all of them in the face as he passed his gaze over them for a long moment.
“I swear I will.” He didn’t only need to do it for himself, but now to send Riley to school. Brent had plenty of money, but he used a lot of it up acting irresponsibly. He would have to be more careful.
He took a seat at the table, right next to Riley and across from the band. His glasses were off and the whole band was together, so this was their moment of truth.
Chapter Four
The group ordered a lot of food and drinks and settled in for a fun night. It wasn’t long before they were recognized by a few people, including the house band. They asked Brent to sing with them on a song, and he nodded and agreed, feeling Riley watching him through the entire conversation.
The food was passed around the table so everyone could try what they wanted and Brent sipped the same beer the entire night. Riley ordered a few of the bright green drinks that she was having, but there was no doubt that she was safe with this group. Judging from the way Chad was looking at her, it was safe to say that he wanted to protect her all on his own. Brent scooted a bit closer to her, and Riley gave him a curious glance as he slung an arm over her shoulder.
The dinner led to more drinks and Brent’s debut on the stage as he joined in for a classic jazz song. He grinned when he saw Riley in the front shaking her hips to the beat and singing along, and he held out his hand to her as she laughed and reached out for him.
The heat was searing, and they froze and looked at each other as her smile faded. He threw his all into the next note and the crowd cheered and clapped as he held up a hand in the air. He finished the song and clapped the guys on the back to thank them before he dropped down to the dance floor. A young woman stepped up to sing a Billie Holiday song. Brent looked at Riley before he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her against his body. “Let the games begin,” Brent told her, as she slipped her arms around his neck and swayed with him in the crowd. He could see that she was feeling the alcohol, but Riley was never one to let herself lose too much control. “Having fun?” Brent asked her, as he leaned down and looked into her endless eyes.
“This is great. Just what I needed,” she told him, as she moved closer and he caught a whiff of her sweet scent. It reminded him of flowers and fruit, and he sniffed as he dropped his head down.
“What is it that you are wearing? You smell like a garden,” Brent murmured to her, as he looked into her eyes to see them widen.
“It’s a new perfume I found. This one is cherry blossom, but I have several of her scents.”
“It’s amazing, Ri.” They danced the song through, and neither moved for the next one. Riley tightened her arms around him. Brent managed to tear his eyes away from her to see the table had taken notice of them as well as some of the crowd. He wasn’t stupid, and he knew that stories about last night had gotten around, but Brent only hoped that they were vague. He was aware that there had been three women in his bedroom at some point and, holding Riley like this, he just felt cheap for it.
Even if this wasn’t real, Brent could stop his reckless behavior. Brent knew that he would enjoy these moments, no matter how rare or planned they were, and he kissed the top of Rile
y’s head. They both stopped dancing when the song ended and looked each other before she blushed and giggled. As Riley moved towards the table, Brent slipped his hand down her arm to wrap his palm around hers.
They got to the table and sat back down as dessert was brought over. Brent shook his head and realized he’d have to run the following day, which reminded him that she used to go out in the mornings. “Do you still run?” Brent asked Riley, as his hand slipped around her back.
“As often as I can.”
“Your ass is mine tomorrow. Six or seven?” Brent asked her. She laughed and raised an eyebrow at him.
“Six. I am going to leave you in the dust.” Riley did some working out, based on her tight legs and perfect ass, as well as that waist that she was hiding tonight. “We leave tomorrow, don’t we?”
“Yeah, at ten or so. We need to be at the hotel in Texas for the three shows there. Back to back. No tourist activity for a while, unless you want to go out.” Riley loved seeing the local sights anywhere she was, and he remembered how much fun he’d had watching her at the cemetery. There were all kinds of tales about hauntings here in New Orleans, and he had certainly felt a creepy vibe a time or two today.
“We’ll see. It was fun today with you guys,” Riley told him, as she took a small bite of the bourbon pecan pie. “We’re running a lot tomorrow.” Brent smiled as she dug her fork into it again and offered him some.
“Delicious. Five miles?”
They all ended the night in a couple of hours and headed back to the hotel in a group. It wasn’t all that far, and they’d been drinking, so nobody was willing to risk driving. Brent walked beside Declan and Riley, only focused on her warmth beside him.
They were a bit behind the group and his best friend leaned in. “Great job tonight, guys. Everybody noticed you two. See? I told you it would help that you already know each other.” Riley and Brent looked at each other as they nodded and laughed, but Brent sensed something in her gaze before she looked down. The group headed to their individual rooms and Brent swallowed as he watched Riley look from him to her brother. She whispered something to Declan and walked towards Brent as he smiled and headed to his room. “Sorry it’s not so glamorous,” he apologized, as he unlocked the door and opened it.
“I’m not staying. I just wanted to keep the ruse going.” She smiled and sat on the bed as she looked around.
“I could’ve done something out there to do that,” Brent said, as he stepped over to the table and dropped the keys onto the surface.
“What would you want to do?” Riley asked as Brent looked over at her on the bed. He knew that he’d just been with a few women the night before, but there was a need filling him that he’d never experienced before. There was an emotion that he was scared to recognize, and he licked his lips.
“A kiss goodnight perhaps?” He watched her swallow and nod as he stared into her eyes.
“It might be good to practice.” Her voice was soft, and he stepped towards her. “I’m supposed to be spending the night with you, after all. I’m sure we’d kiss some.”
“I’m sure that we would.” Riley stood and pressed her hands gently against his chest. He felt his body respond instantly. She looked into his eyes, and he felt his body lean closer to her of its own free will, before she was pressing her lips to his softly. It was just a soft press, but he felt his hands circle her hips and pull her closer as she moaned against him. This was so much hotter than he’d thought it would be at first. Brent had assumed that being with Riley as anything more than a friend would be awkward, but there was nothing at all uncomfortable about the way that their lips were molding together and the feeling of their tongues tentatively touching as he tilted his head.
Brent felt himself push her against the bed and watched her as her body fell back and her chest bounced with the movement. He followed in a natural movement, then cupped her face and kissed her hard while he parted her legs with his knees. Their kisses got longer and deeper as he pressed against her to relieve some of the pressure that he was feeling inside and out. “Brent, we need to stop.” Riley pulled away and looked at him with fearful eyes, as he took a deep breath. “This is too real.”
“Yeah. I think we proved that we could kiss just fine,” Brent agreed, after a moment of total confusion. “Tomorrow at six?”
“I’ll meet you out front of the hotel,” Riley told him before she pushed him away and ducked out of the room.
“Fuck me,” Brent said, as he dropped onto his back and ran his hands through his hair. She could kiss, and Brent could still taste Riley’s sweet lips on his.
It had gotten heavy, though, and he sat up slowly as he looked around. There was no party and no women tonight, but there was a part of him that felt a lot better than he had in quite some time.
He also felt lonely as he went to lock the door and pull off his shirt before he watched some television.
Chapter Five
Brent didn’t sleep too well, but he was dressed and ready in front of the hotel bright and early the following morning. Riley came out in gray leggings and a light jacket zipped up over something thin. Her hair was clipped behind her ears, and she offered him a shy smile. They set off down the road towards a field as she cleared her throat and glanced his way. “There was already stuff online last night about dinner. Declan said that it was more than what happened in the hotel. I guess it’s working.”
“Good. That’s good.” The sky was still dark with just a hint of color as they jogged steadily beside each other. “I hope you enjoyed yourself a little bit.”
“Yeah, of course. We’ve known each other for years, and it’s very…easy.” Riley looked at him and then forward again.
They jogged mostly in silence but kept an even pace for just over five miles. Riley led the way into the lobby for some coffee and Brent joined her, pouring a cup and walking towards his room. “Should we go in together?” Riley asked softly, and he shrugged and glanced at her.
“Yeah. Let’s relax before we take off later.” They walked into the room, and she took a seat on the bed as she sipped her coffee. Brent pulled out a couple of protein bars and offered her one. She nodded and took it from him. He’d also grabbed some water from the lobby, and they opened the bottles and took long sips as he dropped to the floor and wondered why the hell he was feeling so awkward.
“So, last night…” Brent swiveled his head and looked at her as she sat up against the wall. “I know that isn’t part of our plan, Brent. I doubt that you even want me that way at all, but I need to tell you something.”
Brent moved to the bed and towards her as she stared at him. “How can you say that? Did you feel the same thing that I did last night?” She was quiet, and he sucked in his breath. “This stopped being fake to me somewhere during last night, Riley. You’re here all grown up and beautiful as hell, and I’d want you without a plan.”
“I thought the same thing,” Riley admitted, as she looked down at the orange and green comforter. “I saw the room, though, and I’ve heard about you, Brent. You’re a womanizer.”
She had a point. “I have been, Riley, I admit that, but I’m sick of it. I am this close to losing my band and my career because I’ve been a fucked up idiot.” He looked at her. “You’re so good. Smart, beautiful, kinder than you should be to me…but we agreed that this was fake to your siblings and my friends. They told me not to lay a hand on you, but I don’t want to keep my promise.”
“I don’t either but Brent…I haven’t had sex before. You have. I couldn’t keep up with you.” Her voice was so soft and so hesitant, and Brent moved forward to cup her face and stare into her eyes.
“Jesus, Ri. I couldn’t do enough to make it the best time of your life. Fuck who I’ve been, who you see on TV and everywhere else. You know me, Riley.”
“You’re the most passionate man when you want something. I remember watching you play for almost my entire life. You used to stay up for hours writing songs and playing your guitar. After everyone
was asleep, I’d sneak down to the basement stairs and just listen. That’s how I know that you’ll change. You want this.”
“I could do this with anyone, but I need my band. They’re my boys,” Brent said, and she nodded.
“I know.”
They moved together on the bed and she rested her body against him. “What do we do?”
“We pretend like hell out there for everyone, but we are ourselves behind closed doors.” He slipped his arm around her and pulled her closer. They stayed this way for as long as they could before they each had to pack to leave, but they planned on Brent riding with her and Declan in their bus.
Brent took a few moments to check the fan sites after she left, where he found pictures and speculation. The only part that bothered him was that they were wondering if Riley was one of the girls from the hotel room. He clicked his phone off and threw in onto the bed before he cleaned up the room and headed down to where the buses were, using the back door to the hotel to avoid some of the fans. Declan and Riley were standing next to their bus, and he nodded at his band and walked over to them. “You’re stuck with me, D.”
“I can kick your ass at COD,” his best friend said. Brent looked at Riley for a long moment. She was wearing leggings and a tank top for the ride, with sandals on her feet. She looked bare-faced and beautiful, and he forced his gaze to her brother.
“You wish,” Brent told him, as they let Riley on first and followed. Fans called his name. She sat on the small chair by herself while Brent and Declan took the couch, and at least one of them got deeply involved in a marathon of gaming videos. Brent tried, but he kept wanting to glance over at Riley where she was curled up reading in her chair.
They all piled out when the bus stopped for food and ambled over to the diner that was just to the right of the doors. Brent had enough time to sit and eat like a human, and he felt his hand reach back to take Riley’s as the three went to a booth and sat down. Declan didn’t seem to think twice about it, and just picked up a menu and read through it. Brent glanced at him as he draped a hand over Riley’s thigh. She shivered under his touch, and they each ordered burgers and fries while Declan chose the pastrami sandwich. They ate in a pleasant silence broken up with chatter, and Brent found himself falling for Riley with every moment.