“Thank you. How is everyone today?” I ask, looking around the room. I lock eyes with Luna last and she smiles then moves her tongue to one cheek and presses against it a few times. My dick hardens when I think about the blowjob she’s insinuating. I clear my throat and she giggles. Everyone else looks confused, but Van elbows her arm on the armrest.
“Knock it off,” he tells her quietly. He thinks I can’t hear, but I do. I give him a silent nod, happy for the distraction.
We go over the papers and I explain any legal terms the band members don’t understand. An hour later, every member in the band has signed their contracts and everything is done. They hug and cheer and I shake everyone’s hands to leave. Luna walks me over to the door, like she wants to get a few moments alone with me, but we both know it isn’t for the best.
“So, you coming to the party tonight?”
“I have received my formal invitation and I will be there.”
She smiles. “Good. See you tonight.”
I leave and get to work, put in a few hours, then head back home to get ready for the party. I opt to wear one of my newer bespoke suits. It’s black and fits to perfection. I pair it with a crisp white shirt and a black tie. I shave my face but leave a little stubble, too lazy to shave it bare. I style my hair neatly and add a splash of cologne before heading out.
I stop and pick up my date, Dee Dee. She’s a good friend in whom I have zero romantic interest, but I know she’ll be my fake date and it will help to keep Luna in her place. So many times, Luna and I have thrown caution to the wind when we knew we shouldn’t. I’m sure I would again tonight if I didn’t have a buffer, and I’m sure Luna would too.
“So, who’s this girl we’re dodging?” Dee Dee asks as she climbs into the passenger seat.
I laugh. “How’d you know?”
“The only time you ever ask me out is when you need to scare off some stalker. So, who’s the stalker?”
I roll my eyes. “She’s not a stalker. She’s a girl I met a few weeks ago. I fell hard for this one. We hooked up the first night we met. It was meant to be a one-time thing, but both of us fell harder than planned. Even though we knew we shouldn’t be together, it didn’t stop us.”
“Why can’t you be together?” she asks, applying a fresh layer of bright red lipstick.
“She’s in a band and the band was just signed. They’re going to be making an album and going on tour.”
“Oh wow. That’s awesome!”
I nod. “It is. But then she decided to hire me to be the band’s lawyer. So now I’m even more mixed up in the band and have another reason to keep things friendly between us. The only problem is that neither one of us can keep our hands to ourselves. So here you are. I want her to think I’m off the market and it’s no longer a possibility for us to hook up. I need her out of my system if I’m ever going to get over her.”
“Got it. Lay it on heavy and don’t let her push me away.”
“Well, not heavy. We can dance and talk, but I don’t want us confusing things either. Once you kiss these lips, you’ll be in love too, then I’ll have two problems on my hands.”
She laughs. “Oh please! You ain’t got nothing I haven’t seen before.”
I laugh. Dee Dee and I have always been close friends and nothing has ever happened between us. In fact, it’s nice having a woman as a close friend. She can help me figure out what the girls I date are saying since I’m not good at reading between the lines.
We make it to the Hot Vinyl headquarters and enter the Royal Record Room, where they hold gatherings and parties. The room is already full with the band, people who work at the label, and everyone else who’s been invited. The moment I walk in with Dee Dee on my arm, Luna looks over and our eyes lock. Her mouth drops open as she stares at this beautiful woman and me. Dee Dee would normally be my usual type. She has long blonde hair that hangs to her ass in soft curls. She’s tall and thin but built nicely, just like a model. She’s wearing a tight red dress that hugs her curves and puts her two best physical assets on display. And her face is done up perfectly: bright red lips and dark smoky eyes. Most women would be jealous of Dee Dee, though in my eyes, she’s nothing compared to Luna.
Luna’s wearing a short black dress and she looks damn good too. She’s dyed her hair black with purple highlights and it looks gorgeous curled and pinned up. Her eyes seem even darker tonight and her lips are a deep crimson red—almost maroon. They look thick and plump and perfectly kissable. Her wide eyes turn into slants and I can tell she isn’t happy with me. This upsets me but also makes me pleased. This was the whole reason for bringing Dee Dee—to keep her at bay.
I lead Dee Dee up to the band. “Hey, guys, this is my date, Dee Dee.” I motion toward her. “Dee Dee, this is the band. There’s Luna, Van, Ridge, and Lane.”
They all introduce themselves and shake her hand. All but Luna, that is. She looks at me. “May I speak with you privately?”
“Sure,” I agree, removing Dee Dee’s hand from my arm, but Dee Dee stops me.
“Are you sure?”
“It’s fine,” I tell her.
I walk over to the punch table with Luna. “What the hell, Daniel?”
“What?” I ask like I honestly have no idea what she could be upset about.
“We broke up a week ago and you’ve already replaced me? Not only replaced me but brought her to my big night?”
“No, it’s not like that. It’s a party and I figured I needed a date. That’s all. Don’t take it personally, Luna. Not to mention, we never broke up because we were never officially together.”
This only makes her more angry. Smoke is practically coming out of her ears. “Shit. There’s Wesley.” She grabs ahold of me and pulls me closer to her side.
“Luna, we can’t keep doing this. You know why we have to stay apart. You agreed to it too.”
“Shh,” she tells me as Wesley approaches.
He stops when he gets to us and offers us a smile. “I’m glad to see you two are still hanging in there. Better buckle up, ‘cause it’s going to be a fast ride,” he says, shooting us a wink before walking away.
Luna lets go of my arm and turns to face me. “I know, but I didn’t know you’d be bringing someone. Why didn’t you warn me?”
I shrug as I slip my hands into my pockets. “It was a last-minute thing. It doesn’t mean anything. Please, just enjoy your night and forget we’re here. After an appropriate amount of time has passed, we’ll leave. I promise.” I leave her standing there and head back to Dee Dee.
When I approach her, I hold out my elbow and she takes it so I can lead her over to a table to sit down. “How’d she take the news?”
“Not very well, as you can imagine.”
She leans in. “Are you sure you want to do this? You piss her off and that’s it for you. There’s no getting back together.”
I grind my teeth together. “I’m sure.” Even though I’m not at all sure, because the only thing I want to do is pull Luna against me and kiss the breath out of her.
The music starts up and the next thing I know, the dance floor is filled. Dee Dee grabs my hand and stands up. “You made me come to this boring party, so you’re at least going to show me a good time. Let’s dance.”
She drags me to the dance floor and the fast song morphs into a slow one. She doesn’t hold back as she pulls me against her and I wrap my arms around her waist to move back and forth. I’m staring off into space above her head.
“She’s watching,” Dee Dee says softly.
I turn to find Luna standing at the bar with what’s probably a glass of Jack in her hand. She’s taking drink after drink and staring at us as we dance.
“I think it’s about time we go, don’t you think?” I ask her.
“Sure, I don’t care. This is a pretty boring party. I was hoping the label would invite all their musicians. I need to find me a rock-star boyfriend,” she jokes.
“I’ll go get our coats.” I pull away, leaving her standing
on the dance floor.
I don’t make eye contact with anyone as I make my way out of the party room and into the hallway closet where our coats were hung up when we entered. There’s no one manning the closet now, so I step inside to get them myself. I move to the back of the closet, and as I’m looking for our coats, I hear the door shut. I turn and look over my shoulder to find Luna.
“What are you doing, Luna?” I ask, already feeling my strength diminishing.
“I thought I could do it, Daniel, but I can’t. I’m yours,” she says, coming to a stop directly in front of me. Her perfume washes over me and it smells so good, it clouds my judgment. All I can think about is how she’ll feel against me—how warm she’ll be around me.
When she’s only a few inches from me, she reaches up and wraps her arms around my neck. I have no choice.
I smash my mouth to hers and she kisses me deeply. I pick her up against me and her legs lock tightly around my hips. I push further into the closet and we fall through the coats until her back hits the wall.
My hands are working her dress up her thighs and her hands are between us, freeing me from my pants. I push her panties to the side and position myself between her legs. Without warning, I push into her, claiming her as mine once again. She lets out a whimper and bites down on my lower lip. My hands squeeze her thighs even more tightly until I can feel her flesh bubbling up between each of my fingers as I’m pounding into her. She digs her nails into my back and calls out my name, only making me move faster and harder. At this pace, it doesn’t take either of us very long to shatter. The moment I regain my composure, I feel guilty and angry at myself for giving in to her. We’re staying apart for a reason. She knows that. I know that. But when we’re together, something happens and we’re drawn to each other. Something like that is hard to fight.
I set her on her feet and fasten my pants as she straightens her dress. “How do you feel?” I ask, wondering if she’s as confused as I am.
She lets out a long breath. “Torn. I want to be with you. I enjoy being with you, but that almost makes me feel out of control because I can’t seem to resist you . . . even when you have another woman on your arm.”
“How are we going to fight this, Luna?” I ask, pulling her to my chest and resting my forehead against hers.
She wraps her arms around my neck and looks up into my eyes. “I have no idea, but I’m suddenly wondering why we need to.”
I feel the same way. “We both know why. We have to be stronger than this.” I quickly kiss her lips, then turn to walk out of the closet. It’s only when I walk back into the party and see Dee Dee that I remember I was supposed to get our coats.
She walks up to me. “Where are our coats?” I hang my head as she continues her line of questioning. “What’s wrong? Where’d you go?”
“I fucked Luna,” I confess, still staring at my shoes.
“What the hell, Daniel?” She smacks me on the arm and walks out of the room to get our coats.
On the car ride home, she’s sitting in the passenger seat, staring at me. “So was it worth it?”
“I don’t know, Dee Dee. It’s out of my control,” I say, hoping she’ll let me off the hook with that, but knowing Dee Dee, she won’t.
“So you’re saying you weren’t in control when you took your dick out of your pants and thrust it into that poor girl?”
“No, I wasn’t in control. My dick was. That’s the whole point. That’s how I got into this mess! I can’t help that Luna was damn near attacking me! Damn, I’m just a guy, Dee Dee!”
She laughs but somehow manages to keep the angry look on her face anyway. “You were in control, Daniel. You don’t accidentally fuck someone.”
“Well, maybe it was your fault. You were supposed to keep me away from her. Looks like you didn’t do your job very well.”
She scoffs. “How could you expect me to? I wasn’t being paid very well, you know. One glass of nasty-tasting punch isn’t payment.”
“I didn’t say I’d pay you,” I argue.
“Well, if you keep referring to this as a job, then I’m going to expect payment,” she argues back. “Look, there’s obviously something between you two that neither of you can deny. So figure it out. Either get with her or end it once and for all, even if that means you can’t be the band’s lawyer.” We’ve arrived at her apartment, and she gives me one last pointed look before climbing out.
I watch to make sure she gets into the building safely then take off toward my place, but I don’t end up at home. I end up driving aimlessly around the city, spacing out and just concentrating on the road. I know Dee Dee is right. I need to make up my mind and stick with it. This constant back and forth is enough to drive anyone nuts. It’s time to do some soul-searching. I want her. God knows I want her. But how can it work? She’ll be gone more than she’s around. How can anyone have a relationship like that? I’m completely lost in thought as I drive and am surprised when I look up and find I’m at Luna’s apartment building. I stare at what I think is her window and wait to feel that pull. I don’t feel it. Maybe we’re too far away.
Then it hits me like a wave and I’m wondering why it came on so suddenly, but then there’s a knock on my window. I look at the passenger window to see her bending down, looking in at me.
I hit the button and unlock the door. She opens it and takes a seat next to me. “Whatcha doing?”
“I was driving around aimlessly. Just trying to figure out some shit. When I looked up, I found myself here.”
She presses her lips together and nods. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” I ask, looking over at her.
“For fucking everything up tonight. I understand now. You brought a date to help keep yourself in check and I pushed right through that. I know you were really trying for the both of us—to help us end things—and I wouldn’t listen. I pushed you to do something you didn’t want to do, and I’m sorry for that.”
I reach out and take her hand in mine. “It’s not that I don’t want you, Luna. That’s the problem. I do want you. I want you too much, and in the end, we’ll both end up hurt. If it’s this hard to stay away from each other now, it’s only going to get harder when it’s time for you to go on tour.”
“I know,” she agrees. “I just don’t know why it’s so hard to stay away from you. Things would be so much simpler if we had never crossed the line.”
“I would rather lose you than to have never had you at all.” I kiss the top of her hand.
She offers up a small smile. “So you took your date home?”
I nod. “Yep, and she yelled at me. I told her to keep me away from you tonight. Then I disappeared, and when I came back, I didn’t have our coats. She knew what I had done.”
She laughs. “So there really isn’t anything going on between you two?”
“Nope. We’re just good friends. She’s actually one of my best friends and has been since college. We’ve never touched or kissed or anything.”
When I look over at her, she’s staring at me. I can’t read the look in her eyes. It’s like she’s amazed I’m even sitting here with her.
“Do you think what we have is just sexual, or do you think our sexual chemistry is so strong because we were actually meant to be together?”
I wet my lips and open my mouth, but no words come out. I don’t know how to answer that and I’m praying to God we aren’t meant for each other. What a sad love story that would be. “I don’t know. What do you think?”
She pulls her eyes away from mine, looking at the brick building as she shrugs. “I should get inside. We have a long day of setting up our album tomorrow.”
“Okay,” I agree, forcing myself to let her go.
She reaches for the door and opens it, stepping out and walking inside without another word or look back. Once she’s inside, I shift into drive and head home—this time for real.
Seven
Luna
Walking away from him is hard—one of the hardest thi
ngs I’ve ever had to do. All I want to do is to take his hand and tell him to push our problems away—to worry about them another day—but I know no good can come of that. He’s right. If we don’t end things, we’ll only hurt each other in the end. I need to focus on my music career and he needs to focus on anything but me. When I saw him tonight with another woman on his arm, I’d never felt more upset, jealous, or angry. Something inside me flipped in that moment, and I had to have him and make him mine again.
The week we didn’t see each other was the hardest for me, so when I saw him today at the meeting and then again at the party, it was like having my favorite drug offered to me. I could either reach out and take it, knowing that coming down would hurt twice as much, or I could turn it away. I reached out and took it, and now, the comedown is rough. I walk into my apartment and lock the door behind me. Most of the time when I lock it, it’s to keep people out. But this time, it’s to keep me in. I grab my phone and call Van.
“What’s up, Lune?”
“I don’t know what I’m doing, Van. I need rehab.”
He laughs. “Still caught up in that lawyer? Other than work stuff, you guys haven’t been together in over a week, right? Shouldn’t you be over him by now?”
I bite the inside of my cheek. “Well, actually, we kind of hooked up tonight at the party.”
“What? Tonight? When? He had a fucking date, Luna!”
I scrunch down when he yells at me. “I know, I know. I fucked up, okay? I just saw him for the first time in a week and I had this overwhelming urge to go to him. Then she was there and I was angry and jealous and just had to have him. I don’t know what to do, Van.”
He scoffs and I’m sure he’s shaking his head at me. “Stay away from him, Luna. Let the connection slip away, all right? Time and space between you will end it. Trust me, it always does.”
I nod. “Okay, I’m sure you’re right. I can do this. I’m strong, tough, independent. I don’t need any man.”
He laughs. “Except for Ridge, Lane, and me, right?”
I laugh and agree. “Night, Van.”
Rocking His FAKE World: A Fake Boyfriend, Opposites Attract Romance (Love You Forever Book 3) Page 7