“I respect that.”
“What? Me telling you to go fuck yourself?”
“Yeah. Because you demand respect.”
“Of course I do,” she said. “I’m a person. I’m not here for you to ogle like an inanimate object.”
“Wow. You’re right. I’m sorry.”
She never expected an apology, and nodded at him.
“Let me get you a drink. To make up for it.”
“No thanks. I can buy my own drinks.”
“How about a game of pool?”
She started to walk away but turned back with a sly smile. “I don’t want to embarrass you.”
“Oh? A challenge? I love it. Let’s make it interesting.” He placed a hundred-dollar bill on the edge of the table. “You beat me and that’s yours.”
“I don’t need your money.” But a hundred dollars would pay for her phone for the month, and she’d already spent a huge amount of money paying a ton of bills that needed to be paid months ago. With the shortened hours at the diner, and no other money coming in from the band yet, she wouldn’t be able to cover all of her bills each month. She’d need to dip into her advance, and it could end up disappearing very quickly.
He taunted her by waving the bill at her.
“Fine. But let me warn you up front, I’m an excellent player.”
He laughed at her comment.
“I warned you.”
He racked the balls and broke them with a hard thwak! His skills were impressive, sinking five balls before missing one. Now it was her turn. She wanted to be done with him, so she cleared the table, ball after ball, and then sunk the eight ball. “Game.” She picked up the hundred-dollar bill and stuffed it into the front pocket of her jeans.
He stood with his mouth open, stick hanging loosely in his hand. “That’s bullshit. You hustled me.”
“No, I didn’t. You’re the one who asked me to play, and I warned you I was an excellent player.”
“You didn’t make it clear that you played at a professional level. This was supposed to be for fun.” He held out his hand. “Give me back my money.”
“No. We had a bet. If the situation was reversed, would you give me my money back? No. You would have made me pay. Don’t try to bully me just because I’m a woman.”
“I said give me my fucking money back.” He took a step toward her, but she didn’t back down, even though he was easily twice her size.
Lucas was suddenly between them, standing taller than she’d ever seen him. His chest seemed to be twice as broad. His usual soft blue eyes turned an icy steel, while his upper lip held an angry sneer. “Back off. She played a fair game. She called the eight ball in the side pocket, and she didn’t scratch. I heard her warn you how good she was right from the start. Twice. No one hustled you.”
Shock made Sindy’s eyes widen. Lucas had obviously been there at the start of the game. He’d been watching her. And listening. Was it because he was jealous?
“You’re the one who needs to back off,” the guy said. “Mind your business.”
“She is my business. She didn’t hustle you. You’re hustling her. You got a problem with her. You got a bigger fucking problem with me.” Lucas took a step forward, so they were almost nose to nose, and his broad, puffed-out chest nudged the guy.
A crowd gathered and Sindy spotted Mason. He swooped in to pull Lucas away, but Lucas wasn’t budging. The other guy’s friends also intervened before security came and broke up the confrontation.
“Sit back down or I’ll throw everyone the fuck outta here,” the bouncer barked.
“I just paid $300 for VIP bottle service upstairs,” Lucas said, adamantly. “I’m not fucking going anywhere.”
“Then get back to your table.” The bouncer turned to the other guy. “And you, sit the fuck down.”
The guy scoffed and threw a dirty look over his shoulder at Lucas before he and his friends sulked off to the bar.
Sindy watched the entire situation transpire, almost in a state of shock. She’d never seen Lucas so irate, and she was touched that he came to her defense so vehemently, without hesitation. It made her heart melt for this man she cared so much for. She took Lucas by the arm and brought him to the balcony so she could speak to him without the noise of the crowd. “Why did you do that?”
“The guy was getting in your face, Sindy. I wasn’t going to let him bully you.” He said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Thank you.” She smiled softly, her legs turning wobbly at how much he affected her. “I appreciate that, but I don’t want you getting into a physical altercation. What if you would have hurt your hands?”
The corners of his mouth turned upwards. “My hands are fine.”
She lightly ran the back of her hand across his cheek. “What if your cheek got scuffed, or one of those beautiful blue eyes got blackened?” Her heart was beating so fast. The combination of the picturesque skyline behind them, the stars above, and the blatant act of chivalry left her filled with romance and longing.
His lips graced her hand. “You look so beautiful under the moonlight.”
Things could have been so different between them. Why did she have to choose between the band and a man who was perfect for her?
The door to the balcony opened and Mason stepped outside. “I was wondering where you two went.” He stopped and looked at the serious expressions on their faces. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“No,” Lucas answered. “She just wanted to get some air.” He stared at her for a moment, then backed away. “Stay with her. I’ll be right back. I’m just gonna use the restroom.”
Lucas left and Sindy stood on the balcony alone with Mason. She wondered how much he knew, if anything. “It’s beautiful out here.” She turned toward the Empire State Building. “It was dirty and grimy where I grew up. There were rats the size of small dogs in the streets at night.”
Mason joined her at the railing. “Don’t let the glitz and glam of New York City fool you. There are plenty of rats here, too. Some that’ll fight you for your White Castle hamburger.”
She let out a small laugh. “You eat White Castle?”
“Yeah. I love it. Gotta have it at least once a week.”
“Don’t let Tessa hear you say that.”
“Don’t let me hear you say what?”
They both turned around in surprise at the sound of Tessa’s voice.
“What don’t you want me to hear?” Tessa asked again, her brow furrowed.
“Nothing.” Sindy laughed and glanced at Mason. “Just that he eats White Castle hamburgers.”
“Oh, man, thanks a lot.” Mason nudged her in the shoulder. “Remind me not to rob a bank with you. You’d give me up in a second.”
“Why are you two on the balcony by yourselves?” Tessa’s eyes shifted suspiciously between Sindy and Mason.
“I was playing pool,” Sindy explained. “Then Lucas showed up. Then Mason.”
“Lucas isn’t here. And why did you leave me upstairs with that guy?” Tessa asked Mason.
“Sorry, Tess. I thought you wanted me to skedaddle.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Her face finally softened and she smiled. “I never want you to skedaddle.” She looped one arm through Mason’s and the other through Sindy’s. “Let’s find Lucas and get back to our table.”
Sindy couldn’t sleep. Her mind was spinning in a million different directions with the upcoming release of the single, a promo tour, wardrobe, when she should expect another paycheck from the band and if she should ask. She climbed out of bed and reviewed her contract. Depending on how well the single did, she’d get another payout 90 days after its release. She prayed it was an instant hit. It could happen. Prodigy had a fan base, and they had all the right connections they needed in order to make it big.
Reading the contract made her lids heavy, and she rubbed her eyes. Her phone dinged, and it suddenly made her wide awake because she knew it was Lucas.
LUCAS: I’m outside.
She sighed, rendered helpless by the two words on the screen. Instead of texting back, she went to the window. He stared up at her, the phone to his ear, and he smiled as soon as he saw her. She jumped when the phone in her hand rang.
“What do you want, Lucas?”
“Let me up.”
“No. It’s late. I’ll see you tomorrow. Go home.” She clicked her phone off, stepped away from the window, shut off all the lights and climbed into bed. Helplessness and exasperation filled her to her core. Her chest felt as if it was caving in. Her heart hurt. Remorse and regret nagged at her. Slowly, she became aware of music coming from outside. She hesitantly went to the window and opened it, shocked at the sight of Lucas with his acoustic guitar. He stared up at her and sang Everything I Do, by Bryan Adams, one of the greatest love songs of all times, as far as she was concerned.
A football-sized lump lodged in Sindy’s throat. “Don’t do this to me,” she whispered. She knew he couldn’t hear her feeble rejection, and he continued to play and sing while looking up at the window. She crumbled at the heartfelt words of the song. It was 3:00 in the morning, and he was outside her window playing his guitar and singing. How could she possibly resist this? She couldn’t. She opened the window and stuck her head out. “You’re going to get me thrown out of my apartment.”
“Then let me in!”
She smiled and motioned for him to come up.
The moment he entered her apartment, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.
She fell into his body, devoid of strength. Want and need took over. She didn’t care if this wasn’t what they were supposed to be doing or if it was wrong. There was no common sense at that moment. Lust and desire outweighed better judgement.
His mouth covered hers, twisting and turning in a hasty kiss that set her soul on fire. The passion and heat between them seemed to have doubled since they’d been apart, and they expressed it by greedily pawing at one another’s bodies. Each second that passed heightened their need. She was impatient. He was demanding. They didn’t bother tugging at each other’s shirts and belt buckles. They each hurriedly shed their own clothing as if it burned their skin. His lips were on her neck, her shoulder, her mouth, while she panted and rubbed her body against his erection. A tingling sensation traveled down her spine, to her toes and then raced up to her chest. An endless loop of stimuli assaulted her as this gorgeous man touched her. She hastily broke their kiss with a deep gust of air and took his wrist as she led the way to her bedroom.
They dropped onto the mattress and rolled into one another’s arms with grace, as if they’d practiced the maneuver. Her lips explored his chest, with its beautiful arc and the gorgeous tiny mountains that made up his abs. She moved lower and took his length deep into her mouth while her tongue danced up and down his shaft. His body quivered and shook under her touch, and his grunts and moans told her how much he enjoyed it.
He suddenly pulled her up and reversed their positions. She was flat on the mattress while he hovered over her, delivering wet, heat-filled kisses over her neck as his strong hands kneaded her breasts. Her fingers got lost in his gorgeous hair and she inhaled its scent. God, how she missed it! A glimmer of blue flashed up at her as he smiled, amused at her infatuation with his hair. It lasted only a brief second before he returned his mouth to her body. As his lips inched lower, his tongue left a wet trail of heat that had Sindy trembling and begging for deeper contact. When she spread her thighs and tilted her hips upwards, his mouth jumped from her waist to the nub between her legs. She took in a breath and sighed his name on an exhale. “Lucas.” He responded by moving his tongue faster and sucking harder, sending incredible vibrations into her body and shooting sensations into her limbs. She jutted her chin to the ceiling and panted. “Lucas.”
Again, he ignored her cry, but this time, he inserted a finger inside her and began to move it in a come-hither motion. Her shoulders jerked upwards at the jolt of sensations that immediately sailed through her, and she clutched onto thick chunks of his hair as she gasped. The climax took over without warning or notice and left her writhing as she panted for air. Only then did Lucas replace his mouth and hand with his length. Pausing only to sheath himself, he pushed inside her with one deep thrust. Her body, open and receptive, took him fully. As he rocked into her, she stared up at his strikingly-handsome face. She watched his hooded eyes, half-moons of sky blue peering down at her. His parted lips, rosy and glistening, graced her with a soft kiss. His face, with its peaches-and-cream complexion, was both tanned and kissed by the sun. His gorgeous blonde hair, now messy from exertion, flew around his face in golden waves. Strands were stuck to his shoulder, and she marveled, once again, at the pristine, unmarked flesh that covered his body.
Just as before, the orgasm took her suddenly. She clutched onto his shoulders, careful not to mar his unblemished skin, and cried out. He picked up speed, pumping his hips and moaning with each thrust. The soft mattress offered little resistance, and they bounced around, so she locked her legs around his back and clung to his neck. Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more of this incredible man and the passion he bestowed upon her, he gave one final thrust and lie motionless.
“Sindy,” he sighed into her neck, and hugged her tightly.
It felt incredible to be in his arms again, and she let out a satiated breath. They stayed in a post-euphoric haze, embraced together for almost a full minute, not speaking, just relishing in the union of their bodies, before Lucas slowly rolled to the side. He turned away for a moment in order to toss the used condom onto the floor, but quickly returned and pulled her to his chest.
“I don’t know what it is about you, Lucas. I’ve never had anyone break me down the way you do. I have zero defenses against your charm.” She rested her chin on the mound of his chest while gazing at his face. “I can be myself around you. And I know you won’t judge me or have some kind of pre-conceived notion about me because of my past. Because of the way I grew up.”
“Me too. That’s why we’re so good together.”
Confused, she got up on one elbow to look at him. Their backgrounds couldn’t be more different. “What are you talking about? I grew up in the ghetto. You grew up in a mansion.”
“That’s exactly what I mean. People looked at me and saw Tommy Blade’s son. Not Lucas Blade. I wondered if people even knew my first name half the time. They didn’t see me. They saw my father and expected me to be just like him. I know I’m good, but I’m no Tommy Blade on the guitar. My father is a god. He’s in a class by himself. No one can do what he does. But, still, people constantly compared my talent to his.” He gently ran his hand down the perimeter of her face. “You never did that, and you knew exactly who my father was. You’re a guitar guru. You know his reputation. But you saw me for me. And not many people have done that in my life. You’re like no one I’ve ever met. I can’t stop thinking about you. Don’t you see how good we are together?” He leaned forward and gently put his lips to hers. Then he picked up her hand and kissed her fingertips.
She wanted to be his girlfriend. But she needed to listen to her head for once, and not her aching heart. She needed to stop falling into bed with him. To stop playing games with both of their hearts and making this harder. “What are we doing?” she whispered. “I thought we agreed not to do this.”
“I know. But I can’t help myself sometimes.”
“You’re making it so hard. Didn’t we agree that it was better if we were just friends? That the band was more important right now?”
“It’s just so hard to stay away from you.”
He stared at her with so much want and longing that she could barely keep her composure. She wanted to forego the band and everything she worked so hard for in order to have this wonderful and complex man in her life. He was always so strong on the outside, so full of testosterone, but he always showed her his vulnerable little boy side. Maybe that’s why she could never resist him. He was intelligent, gorg
eous and talented. He had it all. When he wanted something, he went after it. And he wanted her. But he wasn’t gruff or forceful or aggressive. He was irresistible.
“Tell me something,” he said. “What was going on that day on the beach when I first met you? When your stuff was strewn all over the place.” His mouth curled into a tiny smile. “You were so angry, stomping your feet and yelling. Who were you yelling at?”
And just like that, with a few short words, he turned a tearful, heartfelt moment into a bout of teasing. “I don’t know. Someone ransacked my shit.”
“Why was your stuff on the beach? You weren’t . . . “
“No. I wasn’t living on the beach.” She knew that’s what he was thinking. She had been living in the storage unit for several weeks at that point. It was too congested, so she was also keeping things in her car. “The trunk of my car was full, and I didn’t want to leave my duffle on the seat, so I took it with me. I left it on my blanket while I got a hotdog on the boardwalk, and when I got back someone had tossed my stuff all over the place. I was so mad I started yelling. The ironic thing is that they didn’t take anything. There was nothing to take. I had my guitar and amp with me. They just threw my shit all over the place.” She squinted at him. “Did you see anyone? Near my duffle bag or my blanket?”
He laughed. “I told you I didn’t see anyone. I swear. You were adorable. There was so much fire in you. And when I asked if you needed help, you almost bit my head off.”
“I’m sorry. I remember thinking, he’s the only one here. It had to be him. And then I asked you about it and you got all snippy with me, and I thought to myself, why did this really good looking guy have to fuck up my shit? Now I gotta kick his ass.”
He tilted his head. “You thought I was good looking?”
“The world thinks you’re good looking, Lucas.” Now he was being modest? This guy had more confidence than anyone she’d ever met.
“I don’t care what other people think. I only care what you think. What else?”
She thought back to that first day she’d seen him. As she had scanned the beach in search of the culprit who scattered her belongings, her gaze fell upon him. He looked too perfect. So perfect, in fact, that he appeared conspicuous and out of place among the ordinary-looking people around him. The way his long blond hair blew in the breeze, the curve of his bicep as he held his guitar, and the intensity of his cobalt blue eyes made it seem as if he wanted her to notice him. He was strikingly handsome and had an overwhelming presence. He looked smug, as if he could get away with anything because of his good looks, but she wasn’t falling for it. “I thought you took my wires. I thought you looked guilty, but, later, I realized that you looked pensive. Like you had a lot on your mind. You looked upset, and I wondered why such a good looking guy had such trouble behind his eyes.” She waited for Lucas to explain, but he became quiet. “Did something happen?”
LUCAS BLADE: Radical Rock Stars: Next Generation Duet Book 1 Page 24