One Week Later
Millie
“Millie, you must be some sort of black magic woman or something. I have no idea how you managed to get Marco to fall in love with you.” Jane shook her head in awe. “I’ve known him his whole life, and I never thought I’d ever see him looking at someone with that adoring puppy-dog look in his eyes.”
“Oh, Jane.” I giggled and shook my head modestly, though I was secretly delighted by her words. It all still felt so surreal to me. Being with Marco here in San Francisco and actually starting a relationship with him.
“So let me get this straight.” Olivia was still gawking at me. “Marco is paying for you guys to stay in a hotel while you find an apartment to rent together?”
“Yeah. He doesn’t want us to spend another night apart, and he knows I’m not comfortable being around Talia. Not that I don’t trust Marco, but I don’t need that ho trying to seduce him again.”
“She’s such a bitch.” Birdy nodded. “Don’t worry, karma will bite her in the ass.”
“Oh, she already did.” Magnolia laughed. “Have you seen her face?”
“Silly, she’s beautiful.” I wrinkled my nose. “That’s why she’s able to get away with all the shit she does and keep her job.”
“Trust me when I say that her shit will get old quickly.” Jane touched my shoulder. “Beauty fades, and her ugly attitude is forever.”
“Yeah well, I don’t even care about her.” I bounced on the balls of my feet in happiness. “Marco has hired movers to help pack up my stuff, so I don’t even have to go back there if I don’t want to.”
“My cheap-ass brother hired movers?” Jane raised an eyebrow. “Okay, this is officially a new man you’ve brought into my life.” She laughed. “Marco doesn’t like to pay for anything.”
“He also bought my ticket to Los Angeles. Business class,” I reminded them again, loving the fact that I could talk about my relationship in a positive light.
“To be honest, that was when I knew he was falling for you.” Jane smiled at me. “When he invited you to LA, I thought to myself, wow, I guess he really is into you.”
“Awww.”
“Well, Jagger knew on that first night we met.” Magnolia giggled. “He said he noticed the way that Marco was looking at you as if you were his. He said he could totally tell he was into you.”
“Wow.” I blushed. “I do have to admit I was sexually attracted to Marco as soon as I saw him.”
“Girl, please.” Olivia gave me her signature look, her eyes sparkling. “You knew you wanted him when Jane showed us his photo that first time. You were practically salivating.”
“Well, what can I say? I know what I want.” I laughed and shimmied a little with excitement. “Can you believe that three of us are in relationships now? We all started single and now over half of us have boyfriends.”
“Don’t remind me that I’m a loser.” Birdy made a face, and she and Olivia both sighed.
“Aw, girls, I’m sorry that was insensitive of me. I didn’t mean to make y’all feel bad. Ugh, I’m a fool sometimes.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Olivia replied. “I have to get going soon though, my brother and his best friend are flying in for a conference in San Jose, and I’m going to meet them for dinner.”
“Not your brother’s best friend who was an asshole?”
“Yup.” Olivia almost growled. “He’s a cocky bastard who thinks he’s God’s gift to women. He gets on my last nerve.”
“Uh oh.” Jane giggled and winked at me. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“Yeah, if I didn’t have to go, I wouldn’t, but I promised my brother, so …” She shrugged and then fluffed her hair. “You know how it is.”
“I do, indeed.” I grinned at her. “I do indeed.”
Four Months Later
Millie
Two dozen red roses sat in a crystal vase on the reclaimed wood dining room table, their sweet fragrance greeting me as I walked toward them. Beside the vase was a white envelope and a plush brown stuffed otter.
“Close your eyes!” Marco covered my eyes with his warm tanned hands.
I smiled at the note of worry I heard in his voice. “What’s going on?”
“I didn’t want you to see anything yet. I haven’t lit the candles.” Frustration tinged his words.
“Candles?” I felt his hands turning me around and heading me out of the dining area and down the corridor. “Can I open my eyes now?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
He let go of my arm and I saw that we were now in our bedroom. I looked over at the messy bedsheets and smiled to myself. When we’d moved in together, Marco had told me that he enjoyed making the bed every morning, yet since we’d been together, he’d only made the bed once.
“You’re home early.” He leaned over and gave me a quick kiss, his eyes searching mine. “Everything okay?”
“Tate let us out early.” I stroked my fingers down his stubbled jaw. Marco’s concern for me was heartwarming and even though it was sometimes annoying, it reminded me of how much he loved me. “I guess he has something special planned for him and Jane.”
“Oh hmm.” Marco’s lips thinned slightly and I held in a grin. It amused me how overprotective he still was of Jane. He was a caring man, and I was sure that when the time came, he would be a caring father, as well. “Are you laughing at me?” His lips twitched as he brought his fingers up to my lips, touching them softly. I sucked his finger into my mouth gently and sucked, trying to figure out what the familiar tangy taste was.
“Were you eating potato chips?” My brain processed the familiar tartness and it hit me. “Salt and vinegar Kettle brand chips?”
“You got me.” He pressed his lips against mine and pushed me back slightly onto the bed. “Salt and vinegar all day long.”
I rolled onto my side to face him and we gazed into each other’s eyes. The heat in my core intensified at the look of love he gave me. Never in my life had I ever wanted to be possessed before, but he made me feel like a priceless jewel, shiny, and precious and wanted.
“I have a surprise for you,” he whispered.
“What’s the surprise?”
Thoughts of an engagement ring crossed my mind, but I knew that it was too soon, even for us. We’d had a whirlwind relationship. Everyone at work had been shocked when Marco had flown back to San Francisco with me after that first weekend in Los Angeles. Even I’d been flabbergasted when he’d rented a two-bedroom apartment in Russian Hill and told me to pack my bags. I’d been slightly nervous to move in with him, but everything had been wonderful so far. He’d let me pick all the furniture while he’d focused on looking for a job and had finally been offered a position as an assistant batting coach with the Giants.
“If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise.” He sat up and pulled his shirt off. I reached over to run my fingers over the warm silky skin of his muscular chest. My lips pressed against one powerful pec and I breathed in his musky scent.
“But I want to know, Marco.” I licked a trail down to his nipple and took it into my mouth and sucked. “Tell me, please?” I gave him my innocent school-girl smile. Butterflies erupted in my stomach as he pushed me back down onto the bed with a growl.
“What’s it worth to you?” His lips pressed against the side of my neck as I pulled my top off. “Are you trying to seduce me, Millie?”
“Do I need to try and seduce you, Marco?”
I giggled as he unclasped my bra and pulled it off. His expression was unreadable as he ran his fingers lightly down my skin and toward my belly button. His large palms rested on my abdomen and warmed me up.
“One day, I’m going to put a baby in there.” He bent down and covered my stomach with tiny butterfly kisses and then made his way back up to my lips, his hands finding my breasts and caressing them.
I melted under his touch. “If you keep going the way that you’re going, it’s going to be sooner rather than later.”
I laughed, remembering our last lovemaking session. It had happened earlier in the morning when I’d woken up, but I could still smell sex on the sheets. Marco had been so hard and slammed into me with such passion and vigor that I hadn’t even been mad when he’d come inside of me even though he knew I hadn’t renewed my birth control prescription as yet.
“You have to wear a condom again for a little bit, just until I decide if I want to get the patch or an IUD,” I reminded him.
“Millie,” he groaned as he pinched my nipple. “I don’t want to wear condoms with you anymore. After we got all those tests done, I thought those days were over.”
“They were, but at the rate we’re making love, I’m going to end up pregnant before we know it, and we’re going to have a baby on the way.”
“Are you saying that you think I have super sperm?”
“I’m saying that if you keep coming inside of me without either of us being protected, we’re going to …” My voice trailed off as he pulled my skirt up and slipped his fingers inside of my panties. “Oh, Marco …” I moaned as he rubbed my clit with one hand and undid his zipper with the other. “I thought you had a surprise for me.”
“I do, but it can wait.” He freed his cock from his pants and pulled my panties all the way off. “This is more important.” He pulled my legs toward him until I was at the edge of the bed and lifted them up and placed them on his shoulders. He licked his thumb and then rubbed it against my clit. “Always so wet for me, Millie.”
“Marco,” I moaned as I became wetter and wetter for him. “I thought we were going to go to Ikea today to look at … ohhh!” I cried out as his cock slid into me with one clean thrust.
“Hmmm?” His hands gripped my legs on his shoulders as he moved back and forth inside of me, his cock slamming deeper and harder with each thrust. “This feels much better than going to Ikea.”
“Marco!” I cried out. “Oh please, harder!” I screamed as he increased his pace. “Faster!”
I gripped the sheets, my fingers trembling from the immense pleasure building within me. I stared up into his eyes. He was watching my face with a wicked grin.
“Your wish is my command,” he grunted as he built up both of our climaxes. He pulled out of me and I moaned with frustration. “I’m close to coming. Do you want me to put on a condom?”
“No.” I leaned up and pulled him down on top of me. “Fuck me, Marco. I want to feel you come inside of me.”
“Oh, fuck.” He positioned himself at my entrance again, his lips finding mine as he thrust inside of me, this time he let himself go completely and he grabbed my hands and held them tightly as the tip of his penis hit my G-spot over and over again.
“I’m going to come!” I cried out and that seemed to please him because as my body shook with the pleasure of my orgasm, I could feel his warm seed filling me up.
“I love you, Millie,” he whispered in my ear. “I feel like we might have just made a baby.” He stroked my hair and kissed me, his cock still inside of me.
“Would you be okay with that?” I asked him breathlessly, loving that he was still a part of me. His closeness made me feel more alive; there was electricity between us that I’d never felt before.
It was a crazy thought to know that he could make me pregnant so quickly, that we could be parents, but I knew that there was nothing that I wanted more in the world. It was ironic that I’d fled home because the idea of marrying young and starting a family right away had never been something that I’d wanted, but as soon as I’d fallen in love with Marco that had all changed. I wanted to be his wife and I wanted to have his children. I loved being with him. I didn’t even care that I hadn’t had any adventures exploring the world as yet. As long as I was with him, I had all the fun and excitement I needed.
“I would love to be the father of your babies.” He stroked my breasts. “I would love to be your husband. There’s nothing I want more in the world.” He kissed my lips and then sighed. “This isn’t how I wanted to do this, but it seems as right a moment as possible.”
“Please tell me you’re not proposing to me right now.” I gave him a half-smile. “I’d hate to have to tell our kids and our parents that you proposed to me right after sex while you were still on top of me.”
“With my cock still inside of you.” He added with a laugh. “Would you also tell them that my cock was growing hard inside of you and nearly ready for round three in the day?”
“Marco.” I blushed. “No, I wouldn’t.”
“Oh, sad.” He kissed me hard and then touched the tip of my nose. “You’re so cute, but no, I wasn’t about to propose right now. Though I think we both know that I will be proposing soon. If I’m about to knock you up, then I better make an honest woman of you.” He stroked a stray hair back from my face.
“So what did you want to tell me?”
“I got us two tickets,” he studied my face, “to spend three weeks in Europe. I spoke to Tate, and you can have the time off. We’ll leave in a few days.”
“What? What?” My jaw dropped and I gasped in excitement. “Are you serious right now? Oh, Marco, are you kidding? I thought we said we’d wait to plan something for next year once you’d become more settled in San Francisco.”
“Oh, Millie,” he laughed. “Next year we’ll be planning our wedding and possibly figuring out how we’re going to make it as new parents. For all we know, little baby Marco is already growing inside of you.” He kissed me again, this time softly and sweetly, and I ran my hands through his hair. “I know it’s always been your dream to travel, and I want you to get to experience as many of your dreams as possible. And I figured that since we seem to do everything on an accelerated timeline anyway, why not just go now and travel the world? We can make love in Milan, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Krakow, and wherever else you decide you want to go. I love you, Millie, and I want to make all of your dreams come true. I was living only half of my life before I met you. I didn’t even realize what I was missing. I didn’t realize that love could be so wonderful.”
He gave me the sweetest, most content smile I’d ever seen in my life and then rested his head on my shoulder. “When I’m with you, I finally feel like I’ve made my way home.”
“Oh, Marco, when I’m with you, I feel like I’ve found my anchor. I love you and I always will. And I’m so glad that we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together.”
***
Thank you for reading to My First And Last One Night Stand. The next book in the series is, To My Brother’s Cocky Best Friend starring Olivia. Get your copy here.
The following book will be Birdy’s story, To My Immature Ex Boyfriend. Get your copy here.
Other books in the serious are:
To The Rude Guy in Apartment Five - Magnolia’s story.
To My Arrogant Boss - Jane’s story.
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Continue reading for an excerpt from Along Came Baby.
Chapter One
Lila
“You My Brown Eyed Girl”
I’m what some people would call a true believer. I believe in true love. The kind you read about in fairy tales. I think that somewhere out there my Prince Charming is just waiting to meet me and sweep me off of my feet. He’s somewhere out there. Maybe over the rainbow. Maybe in another galaxy. Maybe he’s stuck under a rock somewhere. I don’t know where he is to be honest, but he sure as hell hasn’t come knocking on my door in my lifetime.
Don’t get me wrong I’ve dated some nice guys; or rather guys that seemed nice at first until I realized they weren’t. I’m like a jerk magnet. The bigger the jerk, the faster they come running to me. My friends call me Lila Delilah Asshole Caller. I know it doesn’t even rhyme, but I couldn’t disagree with them. I think my name and phone number got put in the asshole black book or something because they love me. But I haven’t given up on finding my true love. Hope springs eternal and all that good stuff. Right now, I’m just taking a little break from dating to concentrate on my career. A career I’m not really sure I’m cut out for, if I’m honest.
I work as a litigation attorney and I hate it. The only thing I like about my job is the paycheck. Who am I to laugh at a six-figures salary? I never thought I’d make this much money in my life, and while the paychecks are great, I’d give the job up in a heartbeat if I didn’t have debt up to my eyeballs. It turned out that law school was a costly endeavor and now I have to work a job I hate to pay off a debt that I got just to get the job I hate. Does that even make sense? But I digress, no one cares about my sucky job. We all have sucky jobs. I care more about finding the right man. Well, eventually. Right now, I’m just working my sucky job and swiping on dating apps hoping to get some nice dates with some nice guys. So far, I’m zero for ten. I’ve been on ten dates in the last six months and all the guys have been awful. I’m about ready to just say forget it and have some fun. I just don’t really know who or how to have said fun. I want to get married one day. I want to have kids. I want that picture-perfect family, but I also want it with the right guy. I can picture him in my head. I’ve just not met him yet.
“Thank you so much Lila.” My next-door neighbor Danielle grinned at me as she handed me her spare set of keys and what looked like an expensive bottle of Pinot Noir. “You only have to look after Frosty for two nights and then my brother, Carter, will be by.”
“So he’ll call me to let me know when he’s going to pick up the keys?” I asked as I placed her keys on my small and narrow hallway table. My apartment was very small, but had been updated, and frankly I was lucky that I could even fit in any size hallway table. I kept the bottle of wine in my hand because I was going to open that bad boy as soon as she left, right before I took her golden retriever, Frosty out for a long walk in Prospect Park.
“Yup.” She nodded, her blond hair swaying back and forth as she looked at me thoughtfully. “I gave him your number and he’ll call you tomorrow, I think.” Her blue eyes seemed distant for a few seconds and then she smiled. “Don’t worry, he will pick them up at a time available to you. He thinks he’s so busy, but I told him that you’re doing me a favor so he needs to pick them up at a time convenient for you.”
“That’s okay.” I smiled at her. “He can pick them up here or at my office. So, he’s going to come by in the mornings and evenings to walk Frosty?” I asked again, curiously. “I’m sorry I can’t commit to taking care of him while you’re away, but work is crazy right now and I’m not sure I can get away at the required hours for him to go out.” I’d just started my job as an associate at a corporate law firm and the hours were awful. The pay was good, but the hours were long and tedious.
“No worries,” Danielle said. “And no, I think he’s going to move into my place for the next month.” She made a face. “He lives on the Upper West Side, he went to Columbia and so he stayed in the area. And well it’s just too much of a commute for him to go back and forth from the UWS to here.” She sighed and then shuddered. “I can’t imagine what my place is going to look like when I get back. He’s such a slob.”
“Aw, I’m sorry,” I said and laughed. I knew that I had also been a slob in college as well. I was still pretty untidy now, so I was not one to judge anyone else. “That’s nice that he’s willing to do that for you, though.”
“He’s not nice at all. He’s only doing it because I’m paying him.” She shook her head. “Brothers!”
“Aw,” I said again and then looked down at the bottle of wine in my hands. “Want some?”
“I shouldn’t,” she said slowly and then looked at her watch. “Okay, well maybe I have time for one glass.” She stepped into my apartment properly and closed the door behind her. “Thanks, Lila.”
“No worries, you brought me the wine. Come on in. I have some cheese and crackers as well. And some brownies.”
“I can’t have brownies.” She patted her slender waist. “I just got back from yoga.”
“Aw, okay.” I smiled at her and sighed inwardly. I didn’t want Danielle to think I was a fat ass, so I’d have to have a brownie after she left. Not that I thought she would judge me terribly, but Danielle was a new friend and I was still trying to make a good impression on her. I’d only moved into this apartment three months ago and she was my first and only friend in the building.
“But hey, who’s going to tell my trainer?” She grinned as she settled down on the couch. “Plus I’m going to be in England and it’s going to be freezing there. I’ll need a couple of extra pounds to keep me warm at night, seeing as I won’t have Frosty.”
“I guess you’ll miss him a lot.”
“He’s like my baby.” She nodded. “But he’ll have a lot of fun with Carter. Carter loves to jog so I’m sure Carter will be out all the time.”
“That will be good for Frosty,” I said with a smile as I opened the bottle of wine. Young college guys were so lucky to have so much time to go jogging. I rarely had any time to do anything now that I was working full time as an associate at a law firm. I’d always wanted to be a lawyer, and I enjoyed my job, for the most part, but I just had to work so damn much. If it wasn’t for the very nice pay, I think I definitely would have pursued a different career.
“Yeah, Frosty loves Carter, but then everyone loves Carter.” She rolls her eyes. “To say he’s a ladies’ man is an understatement.”
“Oh?” I asked curiously, wondering what her brother looked like.
“Yeah.” She took the glass of wine that I handed her. “You know there are some men that can say and do anything and get away with it because they’re so good looking and charming?”
“Not personally, but I know the type you mean.” I laughed, and we clinked glasses. “Cheers.”
“Cheers,” she said, and she took a small sip. “My parents even fall under his spell, he can do no wrong.”
“Aw,” I said again, not really knowing what to say. She wasn’t exactly painting her brother in the best light.
“Oh, don’t get me wrong.” She shook her head and laughed as she sipped some more wine. “I love him. He’s an amazing brother. Lots of fun and he’s always been here for me.” She nodded. “I think I’m just a little bitter because guys seem to just get away with so much.”
“I understand, girl, don’t worry.” I pat her on the shoulder. Danielle and her boyfriend had recently broken up and while they hadn’t dated for a tremendously long time, she was still upset. I was pretty sure he had cheated on her or something like that, but she hadn’t told me too much.
“And I can’t believe the office is sending me to England for this project.” She rolled her eyes. “Like I was the only one they could think of.” She shook her head again. Danielle worked in HR for some hotel chain, and supposedly they needed her to go and help with the staffing for some new hotel chain they’d acquired because half of the staff had quit in the last week.
“I think because we’re single women, we’re the first ones that are chosen for the not so nice jobs,” I said thinking about my own experience at the law firm I worked at. I was on the most boring cases with the most discovery and the longest hours, but I accepted it as paying my dues. “When you get back, we will go and have a fun night out.”
“That would be amazing.” Danielle’s blue eyes lit. “Have I told you how happy I am that you moved in here?”
“Only like a hundred times, so please keep it up.” I grinned at her. “And you’re not half as happy as I am,” I said honestly. Moving into this apartment three months ago had been like a dream come true. I’d finally been able to afford my own place and even though I was decorating it slowly, it was really starting to feel like a home. “I got really lucky moving into this gorgeous place and getting an awesome new neighbor and a friend to boot.”
“Aw, you’re so sweet, Lila,” Danielle said. “Here’s to us,” she said and raised her glass again.
“Also.” She paused, her face looking slightly awkward and nervous for some reason as she looked at me.
“Yeah?” I prodded for her to continue, curious as what she was going to say next.
“So I shouldn’t say this and I normally wouldn’t but . . .” Her voice trailed off again, and she just shook her head. “My brother, Carter, he’s a very charismatic, very good-looking guy and, well, he’s a lot of fun, but he’s a total playboy.”
“Okay?” I laughed. “Why are you telling me this?”
“You’re a pretty girl, Lila,” she said with a smile. “My brother loves pretty girls. And he loves the chase, so he’s going to want you badly. I’m sure of it. Don’t give him the time of day. He’s a heartbreaker, pure and simple.”
“I’ll remember that.” I grinned at her. “I’m not looking for a relationship or anything right now, so I think we’re good.”
“I know you’ve said that before but I figured I’d give you my advanced warning, just in case.”
“Thanks, but no need to worry about me. Between work and sleep I have no time for anything else. I’m a regular boring Betty.”
“I don’t think you’re a boring Betty, but just remember what I said. He can be a real charmer when he wants to be and well, I’ve seen too many friends fall under his spell and then . . .” Her voice trailed off and she made a face. “But let’s have one more glass of wine before I have to go. It’s going to be a long flight tonight.”
“You’ll have a great time,” I said as I poured her some more wine. “And don’t worry about Frosty. I’ll make sure to remind Carter to walk him if I see him around the building.”
“Thanks, Lila. You’re amazing,” she said as we clinked glasses one more time and we both took another long sip of the expensive wine she’d brought me.
“Also, you don’t have to worry about me, I’m not into college guys.” I laughed. “I’m way too old to hang.”
“College?” She looked at me with a confused expression. “Oh, he’s not in college.” She laughed. “Though you’d think he only recently graduated. He’s actually slightly older than me. He’s thirty-five.”
“Oh,” I said. “I thought he was a lot younger than that from the way you were talking about him. I’m surprised I’ve never met him before. He’s not come over before?”
“No.” She shook her head. “He’s a busy guy. He works on Wall Street during the day and he’s in some stupid band that plays a lot of local gigs.” She rolled her eyes. “He thinks he’s some sort of rock god.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked curiosity getting the better of me. I loved musicians for some reason. They were just so talented and sexy. Though I wasn’t going to tell Danielle that; I’d always imagined having some sort of secret fling with a rock star. I didn’t want her to start worrying about me.
“Yeah.” She finished up her wine. “We usually get together for lunches during the week because his nights and weekends are packed. I should feel honored he made time to look after Frosty.”
“If he’s a Wall Street banker, why are you paying him?” I asked as I just remembered what she’d said earlier.
“Because he’s the devil.” She laughed and stood up. “Okay, I should get going. Thanks once again, Lila. I’ll see you in a month.” And with that she hurried out of my apartment so she could hurry to the airport and hopefully not miss her flight.
“Bye, Danielle,” I called after her as I sat back and continued to sip on my wine. I tried to imagine what her brother looked like, but then laughed at myself. I was horribly busy with work right now and it seemed as if he was really busy as well, so I’m sure it’s unlikely that we would see each other at all asides from when he picked up the keys. I grabbed the remote control and turned the TV on to try to find a cooking show before I got up to take Frosty on his evening walk.
“Oh come on,” I said tapping my foot against the wooden floor as I waited for my doorbell to ring. “Where are you, Carter?” I muttered under my breath as I stared at my watch. Five more minutes had passed, and he still wasn’t here. I was going to miss the next train which meant I was going to miss my connecting train, which meant I was going to be late for work. I walked back to the living room from the hallway and sat on the couch, trying not to look at my watch again. I grabbed my phone and scrolled to my text messages. He’d said he would be here at 8:30 a.m. to get the keys. Had I somehow read it wrong? Did he mean 8:30 p.m.? It was now 9:00 a.m. How could he say 8:30 a.m. and be this late? He had to know I had to work. I typed into the phone and sent him another text message.
“Hey, Carter, it’s me, Lila, just checking you’re still coming this morning? :)” I added a smiley face, so he wouldn’t know how annoyed I was, just in case my text message read as passive aggressive.
“Yup.” He text back. I waited to see if he was going to say more than that. Like a sorry, I’m late, or the trains are delayed or something. But nope, all he said was “yup” like he wasn’t already thirty minutes behind.
“Do you have an ETA?” I typed finally as I realized another five minutes had passed and still nothing. I watched the screen intensely as I saw the three dots appear to show me that he was typing a response, but then they stopped. They stopped and no message came. “Are you frigging joking me?” I hissed at the screen. How could he start typing a response and then just not respond, knowing he was already late. Why wouldn’t he just tell me he was running late? He had absolutely no respect for my time. No respect at all. I knew he was busy as well, but come on now. He was the one that had texted me to say that this morning would be best for him to get the keys as had some gig tonight and didn’t know when he’d be around. I wondered to myself if he was really going to be able to take care of Frosty properly, but he knew what he was doing. It was his sister’s dog after all, he would have to make the time. I gnawed on my lower lip as I realized another ten minutes had passed and still not a word from Carter. He was starting to really piss me off now. Did he have no respect for my time at all?
“Hey are you going to be here soon?” I sent another text message. And I didn’t add a smiley face this time. I didn’t care that he hadn’t responded as yet. No one could call me psycho for constantly texting in a situation like this.
“Yup,” he responded immediately, and I screamed. Yup? What the hell did yup mean? I was normally an even-keeled person, but this morning was already off to a rough start. Frosty had gone potty on Danielle’s rug so I’d had to clean that up before I took him on his walk and then he had been so busy trying to chase every squirrel that he saw that he didn’t want to go potty for ages. I’d had to take a five-minute shower, had nicked myself while shaving and then to make matters worse, my favorite black blazer had felt too tight when I’d put it on, so I’d had to wear my gray suit instead. And I hated my gray suit.
“How long will you be? I have to get to work and now I’m already running late.” I typed out again. Let him feel bad for being tardy. I didn’t care if he was some hot shot banker and musician, he needed to respect other people’s time.
Ding Dong. The doorbell rang as soon as I pressed send, but I didn’t feel guilty. “Finally,” I mumbled as I jumped up off of the couch and hurried to the front door and pulled it open hastily. “You made it,” I muttered before even making eye contact with him.
“Hi there, Lila, right? I’m Carter. Sorry for the delay. The line in the coffee shop was way too long, and I wanted to get you a latte and bagel with lox and cream cheese. Danielle told me they were your favorites.” The man in front of me gave me an easy, lazy smile, his blue eyes were open and friendly and his perfect white teeth gleamed at me.
“Hi.” That was all I managed to squeak out as I stared at Carter. Danielle had understated just how good-looking her brother was. He wasn’t just good-looking. He was gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. He stood at about six-four with a solid muscular build. He had dark golden blond hair that surrounded his face perfectly. His blue eyes were azure in color and reminded me of the ocean colors I’d seen in the Caribbean.
“Here you go,” he said, and he handed me a small cup from my favorite coffee shop and a brown bag with a still warm bagel inside. “I hope that they are as good as you remember them being.”
“Thanks,” I said as I took the cup and bag from him. I gave him a huge smile, all my anger having faded away as soon as I’d seen his smile. “Would you like to come inside?”
“Willing to share some of that bagel?” He grinned and gave me a small wink as he walked into my apartment. He made my hallway feel like it was a part of a doll’s house and my heart raced as I stood next to him and stared at his muscles up close and personal. “I forgot to get one for myself.”
“Oh, of course.” I grinned at him. “Come on in,” I said and waved him to follow me down the hallway to the kitchen.
“Should I take my shoes off?” he asked as he paused next to the door. He was wearing a white T-shirt that said, No Sleep Till Brooklyn, and blue faded jeans that clung to his hips.
“No, that’s okay.” I swallowed hard to stop myself from telling him that he could take his T-shirt off if he wanted. I didn’t know what had come over me. I couldn’t stop looking at his biceps and imagine his big hands all over me. I reddened as I realized that I was totally fantasizing over him and I’d just met him.
“Okay, are you sure you have time for the bagel?” He gave me a boyish grin as I took two plates out of the cupboard. “You said you were running late in your text, right?”
“I’m already late.” I wrinkled my nose at him as I grabbed a knife to cut the bagel in half. “What’s thirty more minutes going to do?”
“You’ll have to let me get you an Uber into your job,” he said as he took the plate from me and grabbed the bagel. “Mmm,” He made a noise as he took a bite and chewed. “This is delicious.”
“Glad you approve,” I said and took a bite myself. The bagel was toasted perfectly and had just the right amount of cream cheese and lox. “Yummy,” I said as I swallowed. I placed the plate on the table and then opened the fridge door. “Would you like some orange juice?”
“Yes, please,” he said, and he walked over to the fridge and stood next to me. “Thanks for your hospitality by the way.” He ran his hand through his hair and smiled at me. “Danielle told me you were nice and I guess she was right.”
“She’s great.” I smiled back at him, ignoring the urge to pat my hair to make sure that it was in place. “I’m so glad that she’s my neighbor.”
“You just moved in recently, right?” he said as he took the glass of orange juice. His blue eyes gazed into mine as if he were genuinely interested in the answer.
“Yes.” I nodded. “I just moved to New York about two years ago. I started working at this firm about six months ago and moved in here three months ago.”
“You’re a lawyer, right?”
“Yes. I went to law school at the University of Iowa.”
“Go Hawkeyes,” he said, and I looked at him in surprise. “I might not look like it, but I’m a huge fan of college football.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, my family is from Ohio so we’re Ohio State fans, but I can respect the Iowa team, though they’re not as good as the Buckeyes.”
“You wish.” I laughed. Carter Stevens was the last person I would have assumed to have been into college football. He just looked too cool and sexy to be into something so every day.
“So you came here after law school? And started working for the firm?”
“I moved here and worked for a non-profit, but then upgraded to a firm.” I made a face. “More money and all that jazz.”
“I see.” He nodded. “And you’re single?”
“Maybe,” I said coyly, surprised by his question. “Why do you ask?” I bit down on my lower lip and gazed at him as he finished eating his bagel.
“Because I’d be devastated to find out you had a boyfriend.”
“Danielle was right.” I laughed. “You really are a huge flirt, aren’t you?”
“I’m not a flirt.” He shook his head. “Well, not with everyone.”
“I’m one of the lucky ones, am I?”
“Of course, you’re a very lucky one.” He winked at me and then before I could blink he was reaching over and lightly removing a random piece of bagel from the side of my mouth. I watched as he popped it inside of his. “Didn’t want to waste any of it now.”
“You.” I was speechless. Had he really just eaten a crumb from the side of my mouth?
“Yes, what about me?”
“I, I just don’t know what to say.” I shook my head at him. It was weird to know that we’d just met. A part of me felt so comfortable with him; as if I’d known him for years.
“You have beautiful brown eyes,” he stated then and within seconds he was singing “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison; one of my absolute favorite songs. “Do you remember when we used to sing . . .” His voice was deep and smooth and I joined him in the chorus, even though my voice sounded like something from the reject episodes of American Idol. My voice trailed off as he continued singing as I didn’t know all the words and I just stood there sipping my coffee watching this absolutely gorgeous man sing to me. It was surreal, it was ridiculous, and I absolutely loved it. Things like this just didn’t happen to me. And while a part of me was extremely ill-at-ease and slightly embarrassed, there was just something about Carter that made his being so over-the-top seem quite normal.
“So, brown-eyed girl, what are you doing tonight?”
“Tonight?” I stared at him wondering where he was going with this conversation. Could he also be into me?
“Yeah tonight.” He grinned. “I have a gig at Rockwood Music Hall, maybe you’d like to come?”
“Um, well, I work,” I stammered.
“You’re telling me you have to work all night?”
“No, I’m just saying that I’m already late for work and I have a lot of files to go through today. We’re going to trial next week, and well, I just don’t know when I’ll be free.”
“Make yourself free.” He gave me an impish grin. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked, loving the way he was so easy and teasing with me. “You don’t even know me.”
“Well, I know where you live.” His phone beeped then, and he grabbed it from his pocket. I watched as he made a face. “But that’s my cue to go and check on Frosty. I need to change and head off to work myself.”
“Aw, okay,” I said, feeling disappointed, but knowing it was for the best. I could talk to Carter Stevens all day and night. “I was wondering what investment firm you worked for that you could wear jeans and a T-shirt.”
“Hey, that’s how we do it on Wall Street these days.” He laughed and then his face grew slightly serious. “But I really should be going now. Thanks for the keys. And for looking after Frosty for a couple of days. I hope you can make it tonight, the show is at eight. If not, I guess I’ll see you around this place.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” I said, suddenly feeling sad. What if I never really saw him? I mean, I didn’t see Danielle all that often. He was hot and sexy and he was flirting with me and I liked it. Granted he most probably wasn’t going to be the love of my life, but he could be the fun of my life. I needed some fun. He seemed like the perfect guy to have some fun with. I was going to go to that show tonight even if it meant I had to go back to the office afterward. I knew it would be worth it.
Chapter Two
Carter
“Girls Just Want to Have Fun”
“I’ll make it worth your while. I’ll make it worth your while?” I groaned as I shook my head at Frosty. “What the hell was I thinking?” Frosty just sat there staring at me with his big brown dopey eyes. “She most probably thinks I’m an idiot.” I pulled my jeans off and threw them onto the ground. I knew Danielle would not be happy that I was already leaving my clothes all over the place, but what she didn’t know wouldn’t kill her. “Where the hell is my suit?” I rifled through the suitcase I’d brought with me and pulled out a blue shirt and some clean boxers. I couldn’t seem to find any of my suits though. “Fuck it,” I growled under my breath. I must have left my suits on the bed in my rush. I’d woken up late and had to rush up here to grab the keys from Lila. I had been very pleasantly surprised when she’d opened the door. Danielle hadn’t told me how hot her new neighbor was with her doe-like brown eyes, blond hair and very shapely body. It didn’t hurt that she seemed to have a fun personality that matched her looks. I’d been pleasantly surprised when she’d sang along to “Brown Eyed Girl” with me. Granted, she couldn’t sing for shit, but at least she’d tried. I wasn’t used to women that weren’t afraid to make a fool of themselves.
“Do you think she’s going to come tonight?” I continued to talk to Frosty as if he actually understood what I was talking about. This was why I didn’t have my own dog. People with dogs became crazy. “She’s not going to come. I bet she’s still annoyed I was late. Do you think she was annoyed?” I rolled my eyes as Frosty started sniffing his butt. “She’s a lawyer,” I said as I debated what to do. I couldn’t go into work like this. And I didn’t want to go all the way back to the Upper West Side now. I’d just call in and get ready for the show tonight. Plus I needed to go through my finances to make sure that I had calculated everything correctly before I gave in my resignation at the end of the month.
I was finally ready to pursue my dreams of becoming a full-time musician and getting out of the rat race. Not that I’d told anyone in my family though. I wasn’t sure they’d approve; especially Danielle. Even though I was the older brother she always acted like she was the boss of me. I loved her, but everything I did she seemed to disapprove of. Well, maybe that was due to the fact that I’d dated several of her friends and broken their hearts. Not that that had been my fault though. I’d barely gone out with any of them before they started acting all attached and clingy. I paused as I thought about Lila. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea for her to come tonight. I didn’t want her to fall for me or anything like that. No matter how hot I thought she was. I didn’t need to complicate this living situation. Danielle was going to be gone for a month at the minimum she’d said and I couldn’t have dogs in my apartment, so if something went bad with Lila, I’d have to stay here still. And I didn’t want things to be awkward. Though if the sex was good enough I could deal with awkward for a few weeks. I could deal with a lot for good sex.
My phone started ringing then, and I grabbed my jeans up from the floor to pull my phone out of the pocket. “’Sup, man?” I said as I answered the phone.
“Whatcha doing?” Harley growled into the phone. He always sounded as if he were angry, but that was just his voice. It was deep and husky, just like him.
“Well, I was supposed to be at work, but I’m taking the day off,” I said. “And no I can’t meet you for breakfast. I’m up here in Brooklyn.”
“Brooklyn?” For a husky country guy, Harley was a bit of a snob. He never liked to leave Manhattan unless it was for a gig.
“I told you I’m looking after my sister’s dog,” I said, and I looked over to see what Frosty was doing. He was now sniffing at my pants and I grabbed them up. I didn’t need the mutt chewing up my favorite pair of jeans.
“Oh yeah, so you’re going to be leaving from there for Rockwood tonight?” Harley was the drummer in our band and I knew he was hoping to pregame before the show.
“Yeah, man. I’m staying out here for a month or so.”
“What are you doing with your place then?” he asked, his voice curious and hopeful.
“I’m not letting you crash in any of the rooms, dude,” I said in a firm voice. The last time I’d let him stay over and look after my pad he’d had a threesome with two middle-aged women from Texas that hadn’t wanted to leave; even when I’d showed up and told them he didn’t live there.
“Aw, c’mon, Carter.”
“Why did you call me, Harley?” I changed the subject and walked through to the kitchen to see if Danielle had any coffee. I needed some caffeine.
“Fine. So my cousin Jimbo called me and he said that he heard that a record exec was going to be there tonight.”
“Oh yeah?” I perked up. “From what label?”
“Universal maybe?” he said and I could tell that he couldn’t really remember. There were only three things that Harley cared about: the drums, women, and beer. “But yeah, that’ll be cool, right?”
“Yeah, that’ll be cool.” I rifled through the cupboards to see if there was anything close to coffee beans or even instant available to drink. “Hey, dude, I’ll see you tonight, okay? I gotta go.”
“Right now. Rock ’n roll, baby,” he said and hung up. I laughed as I placed the phone down on the counter. I looked at my watch and wondered if Lila had left home as of yet? Maybe she had some coffee she could lend me. I ran through the kitchen to the front door and knocked on Lila’s door with my fingers crossed.
“Hey,” she said, opening the door. There was a surprised look on her face as she gazed at me and as her eyes went lower I could see her blushing. Oh shit! I’d forgotten that I’d taken my jeans off and was standing here in just my T-shirt and boxer briefs.
“Hey, I don’t suppose you have any coffee do you?” I asked naturally, pretending that it was completely normal for me to be standing here in my tight white briefs that didn’t hide much of anything. Not that I cared. I had nothing to be ashamed of down below. Nothing at all.
“Coffee?” She blinked at me and I could tell that she was confused. “I thought you were rushing to work?” Her beautiful brown eyes stared into mine and I watched as she tucked some runaway blond hairs behind her ears. Her lips puckered in a confused way. They were plump and pink and looked like they were just waiting to be kissed.
“Yeah, I was, but I left my suit at home, so I’m just going to chill today.”
“Oh, wow,” she said and I could see her staring at me wonderingly. She most probably thought I was some sort of sexy arrogant asshole. “Um, let me check if I have any coffee beans.” She walked away from the door and I stayed in the hallway. I could see Frosty standing at my front door peering out curiously. “Here we go,” she said, and she walked back to me with a small bag of beans. “These are beans from Kenya, dark roast. Enjoy.”
“Oh you sure I can have these?” I asked, knowing African beans were pretty pricey.
“Yeah, you can pay me back in another way,” she said with an impish smile and I watched as her two front teeth bit down on her lower lip. I wondered if she was deliberately trying to tempt me. She had to know the effect she had on me, didn’t she?
“Well that sounds like a deal I can definitely make.” I gave her my half-smile that drove all the women crazy and she just laughed girlishly at me and pushed the bag into my hand.
“I’m sorry to be rude, but I’m about to leave now and have to go.” She grabbed her handbag from the table and I watched as she slipped her feet into a pair of black pumps. She closed the door behind her and stood next to me. She gazed up at me expectantly and I wondered if she was hoping for a kiss. Maybe we were on the same page after all. “Uh, excuse me.” She grinned at me. “Can I pass?”
“Oh yeah, sorry.” I moved to the side. I was blocking her entrance way, and she needed to get past me; she wasn’t just standing there waiting for a kiss.
“No worries,” she said with a small smile. “It was nice meeting you today, Carter. Hopefully I can make it tonight.”
“I’ll have my fingers crossed.” I said honestly. “And it was great meeting you as well, Lila. I think this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
The music was loud as I walked into Rockwood. I recognized the band on the stage; they were a young jazz group, and I knew they weren’t getting paid for being there tonight. I watched as one of their girlfriends walked around with a hat collecting tips from the patrons. None of them put their hands in their pockets. They weren’t there to listen to them. They were here to listen to me. I watched as a huddle of women in the corner looked over at me whispering. I gave them a huge smile, but didn’t go over to them. Instead I headed to the bar. I needed a drink.
“Hey, Carter, you’re here early.” Betsy, the cute red headed bartender handed me a beer. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” I grinned as I grabbed the glass. “Figured I would see who else was playing here tonight.”
“Some jazz kids. I think they go to Julliard.” She nodded toward the enthusiastic youngsters on the stage. “They’re good, though this crowd doesn’t really appreciate their brand of good.”
“You know jazz doesn’t sell as well as rock and roll.” I laughed and looked around the room. I saw many familiar faces as I surveyed the room. We’d really developed a small cult following in our two years of playing. It made me feel proud to have brought a real crowd out tonight. Lila would be impressed if she came. I hoped she was going to come.
“Shannon was asking about you.” Betsy leaned forward with a wicked smile. “She’ll be happy to see you.”
“She’s working tonight?” I asked and tried not to groan. Shannon was the other bartender. A hottie from Atlanta that had moved up to New York a year ago. We’d gone on a couple of dates a couple of months ago, but she’d been looking for something much more serious than I was looking to give. We hadn’t even hooked up, which I was glad about because she’d been blowing up my phone weekly asking if I wanted to go out. I’d politely declined at first, but I’d ignored her last couple of texts.
“Yup.” Betsy grinned. I knew she was itching to see some drama go down. Betsy and I had never had anything, but she’d hooked up with Harley in the past and while she liked me, she was eager to see me and the guys get into woman trouble. It seemed to make her feel better about life. She was a cute girl, and I’d not really understood what she’d seen in Harley in the first place, but I guess women just have this thing for musicians, hot or not.
“Oh well, that’s cool,” I said nonchalantly, hoping that Shannon wouldn’t pull anything if Lila showed up. That would be all I needed. I wasn’t really sure why I cared so much. It wasn’t as if I even knew Lila. We’d barely even met. But there was just something about her cute face and her passive aggressive texts that had gotten to me. I wanted to see if she would be as exciting in the bedroom as I imagined her to be. Not that I just wanted to get to know her just for sex; I also enjoyed talking to her. She seemed fun. I wanted to roll my eyes at myself. She seemed fun? Really Carter.
“Here she is.” Betsy’s excited voice interrupted my reverie as Shannon came to stand next to her. “Hey, Shannon, look who it is,” she said as if Shannon couldn’t and wouldn’t recognize me standing here right in front of her. I put on my most dazzling smile and gazed into Shannon’s almost black irises.
“Hi there, how you doing?” I said as if I hadn’t been ignoring her.
“Forget it, Carter.” There was no smile on her face as she responded to me, her ebony skin glowing. “I don’t have time for your BS.”
“My BS?” I threw my hands up. “I’m offended.”
“Yeah right.” Shannon gave me a look and then gave Betsy a look as if to say, are you buying this crap? “Betsy, I’m knocking off early, okay? Stallone wants to take me for drinks.”
“Yeah, no worries.” Betsy shrugged. “More tips for me.”
“Um, is anyone else working? This place is packed tonight.” I looked around the room and even more people had piled in while we’d been talking.
“I guess they’ll have to line up then, won’t they?” Shannon gave me a look, her beautiful model face looking satisfied. Aw, this was part of her plan to get me back. I got it now. “Bye,” she said, and I watched as she sashayed from behind the bar and left the room.
“You do realize you’re going to be slammed, right?” I looked at Betsy who was grinning.
“Dude, that’s double tips for me.” She shrugged and then winked at me. “That went better than expected, eh?”
“Disappointed?”
“Slightly.” She laughed and then she shooed me away. “Move now, boy, there are other people lining up to be served.”
“Bye, Betsy,” I said as I stepped away from the bar and looked toward the entrance to see if Lila had somehow arrived in the last couple of minutes. I pulled out my phone to see if she’d texted me for directions or anything, but I suppose Google Maps could have given her any information she needed. “Are you going to come, Lila Delilah?” I mumbled as I stared at the screen that had a few missed calls, but no missed texts from Lila. I didn’t know why I cared so much. I never cared this much. And then because sometimes good things do come to those that wait, I felt something in my body stiffening as I heard a familiar laugh. I looked back toward the entrance and there she stood, in a short black dress with a low cut V-neck. She looked amazing and I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her as she laughed again at something the bouncer was saying to her. Finally, she walked into the club and I walked over to greet her.
“Hey, sexy,” I said as soon as my eyes met hers. She grinned at me and I gave her a lazy smile as I admired her body, so curvaceous and soft. Her long blond hair was hanging straight past her shoulders and it looked silky, like fine spun gold thread.
“Hey,” she replied, her voice almost a whisper, as if she were shy. Her eyes bore into mine seductively and I could feel the sexual tension between us rising. It was easy to forget that we’d only met that morning.
“I like that necklace,” I said and reached over to touch the fine piece of silver that was hanging between the curves of her breasts. My fingers grazed down her neck as they played with the chain and I stopped just short of her heaving bosoms. I could see the vein in her neck throbbing as we stood there close to each other.
“Oops, sorry.” She gasped, a small smile on her face as she fell into me. Some guy having pushed past us to get to the bar.
“Nothing to be sorry about.” My hands clung to her waist. Her body felt warm and I could feel her heart beating against me. I wanted to lean down and kiss her, but instead I thanked her for coming out.
“No worries, thanks for inviting me. This is awesome and I can’t wait to see you perform. You play guitar, right?” she asked reminding me why she was here. I wondered what she would say if I told her all I wanted to do was take her in the back room, lift up her skirt and bend her over.
“And I sing,” I said as I nodded; not daring to tell her how badly I wanted her. “We’re a local band, but we have a lot of support.”
“This is a cool spot. I’ve never been to Rockwood Music Hall before,” she said and looked around the venue. My eyes were glued to her neck, and how delicate and feminine it was. I was also enjoying the smell of her. She smelled like fresh strawberries. I wondered if that was her natural odor or her bodywash. She’d obviously gone home to change. She certainly hadn’t been wearing that sexy dress this morning when she was headed to work.
“We’re going to go on in about ten minutes,” I whispered into her ear wanting to tease her before I went on stage. I allowed my tongue to lightly touch her inner ear to see how she was going to respond. Was she feeling the heat between us as badly as I was? I smiled as I got my answer. Not only did she not pull away but I could also feel her body trembling. She was definitely feeling it and before I knew what was happening, I could feel her fingers on mine touching me softly. I could feel myself hardening next to her and I knew that if this continued at the pace we were currently going, I’d be lifting up her dress and doing naughty things to her right here in front of everyone. “I have to go to the back and grab my gear and get ready,” I said hastily. There was going to be a music exec here tonight. I still had to go on and play, no matter how badly I just wanted to be with Lila. “However, let’s get a drink when I’m done, yeah?” I stared into her eyes and all I could think about was feeling her softly parted lips on my now very hard cock.
“Just a drink?” she asked, with a teasing smile and I almost groaned out loud.
“It’s never just a drink,” I said with a wink and then I leaned forward and kissed her, my hands bringing her body in even closer to mine so that she could feel my hardness against her. I knew it was a bold move, but I was feeling in a bold mood. “Tonight we’re going to make some sweet music, baby,” I said and slipped my tongue into her mouth so that I could taste her sweetness on my lips before I went onto the stage to perform.
“Okay,” she whispered as she kissed me back passionately, her fingers on the back of my shoulders. I broke away from her and gave her one last wink before I walked toward the hallway that would take me to the back room where my guitar was waiting for me.
“Hey, man, who’s that hottie?” Harley slapped me on the shoulder as I walked into the back room.
“What?”
“That hot blonde.” He smacked his lips together. “With the big rack.”
“Really, Harley?” I frowned at the way he was talking about Lila.
“What?” He twirled his drumsticks between his fingers and began nodding his head up and down to some beat in his mind. “Does she or does she not have a big rack?” He winked at me. “I sure noticed you admiring it.”
“Harley, just concentrate on tonight. Did you see the execs?” I walked over to the corner of the room and picked up my guitar and searched through my case for my cables so I could attach it to the amp on stage. “You got the setlist?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “Bruno wanted to know if we could include some Hendrix tonight.”
“No, man, we need to stick to the setlist.” I shook my head and looked around the room to see if the bass player was in the room with us. “Where is Bruno? We’re going on in ten minutes.”
“He went to the restroom.” Harley shredded an air guitar. “He’ll be back. He said that Lucas will be able to join us tonight on keys.”
“Sweet.” I started to tune my guitar. “That’ll be good. He’s nearly here.”
“Yeah, man, yeah.” Harley nodded. “So you going to introduce me to the hottie?”
“Why don’t you just worry about Betsy.” I raised an eyebrow at him and he groaned.
“Low blow, man, low blow.”
“When you go low, I go even lower.” I laughed and started ripping some chords. “And her name is Lila by the way.”
“Lyla?” He grinned. “Like the Oasis song?”
“No, it’s L I L A.”
“You know how to spell her name already?”
“Danielle sent me her name with her number.”
“Oh, she’s Danielle’s friend?” He made a face. He knew better than to mess with Danielle or any of her friends. He’d tried to hit on Danielle a long time ago and it hadn’t ended well for him.
“Yup, they live next door to each other,” I said before I couldn’t stop myself.
“Oh shit, it’s going to go down.” Harley started dancing around. “Bow chicka bow wow.”
“Really, dude?” I shook my head and looked at my watch. “We need to head out. We’re on in a few minutes. You better text Bruno and Lucas and tell them to hurry the fuck up.”
“Yes, bossman.”
“You ready?”
“Let’s rock ’n roll, dude.” Harley high-fived me and we grinned at each other, the excitement palpable in the air. I loved performing. It made me feel so alive, like I was on top of the world and flying through the sky with a crowd of people on the ground just watching me as I soared back and forth. The crowds cheering for me made my heart beat just that little bit faster, seeing the smiles on people’s faces as they danced and sang along to the music always thrilled me. It was in those moments that I actually felt like I connected with humankind. Most days, I thought that most humans were shit, but when it came to music and performing it was all about love. The love of music brought us together, and it was the most epic shit ever.
“Any special requests?” I called out to the crowd. “We have two songs left before we have to get off the stage.” I listened to the boos and grinned out at the crowd. I could see the two music execs standing by the bar at the back, standing out like sore thumbs in their suits. They seemed to be impressed by the crowds and that made me happy, but not as happy as I felt as I watched Lila dancing back and forth to the music, her body in perfect timing to the beat of each song. Her long hair swayed back and forth as she moved and she looked like she was having a good time. I made eye contact with her a few times and she’d blushed and lowered her head slightly as I’d sang directly to her. I liked that she was a little shy at times. She was an enigma to me. Sometimes she was really bold and outgoing, like some sort of vixen and other times she was shy and innocent. I couldn’t read her, but then I didn’t know her that well yet. I intended to get to know her really well, real soon. “What about you, Lila?” I pointed to her in the crowd and ushered her to come forward in the crowd. “Any special request?”
“What about ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’?” she said, her voice loud as she shouted and did a little shimmy.
“Girls just want to have fun, huh?” I watched her body moving as she sang the song out loud for me. The crowd was loud and packed, but in that moment, it felt like we were the only two people there. “Do you just want to have fun?” I called out again and a bunch of guys next to the stage hollered and high-fived each other. I watched as one tall guy in a Steelers shirt walked over to Lila and started talking to her. I frowned as I watched her smiling back at him. Was she flirting with this guy while we were having a moment?
“Yo, Carter. What’s next?” Harley hollered at me from the back of the stage.
“Let’s do some Kiss,” I said, looking away from Lila and the Steelers jerk. “‘Rock and Roll All Nite,’ all right boys?” I looked behind me and they all nodded. Bruno played a couple of chords and I counted down as I took a couple of steps back. “A one, a one, two, three, four,” I said and then began to sing my heart out. Though for some reason I wasn’t as caught up in the song as I normally was. My eyes couldn’t stop watching Lila with her new beau. She was now laughing at something he was saying as if he was the funniest person on the earth. What the hell was her problem? Was she one of those people that came out to shows to pick up guys instead of listen to music. I conveniently forgot that she’d come out to this show for me and that I was hoping that we would hook up tonight.
The crowd went crazy when we ended the last song and they began chanting the band name.
“Thanks, guys. That was Harley Driver on the drums, Bruno Smith on the bass, Lucas Hamilton on the keys and I’m Carter Stevens on guitar and vocals. We’re The Bedroom Rockers, thanks for coming out tonight and hope to see you soon. You can find us by the bar if you want to buy us a drink.” I put the microphone back in the holder and took a final bow before exiting the stage.
“Hey, man, you rock.” One of the guys that was in the group with Steelers guy approached me as soon as I walked off of the stage. “Can I get you a beer?”
“Sure.” I nodded and gave him a quick smile as I looked around the room to locate Lila. She was staring at me with a wide smile on her face and clapping her hands. I grinned at her and was about to blow her a kiss when I noticed Steelers guy was still standing there and he had his hand on her waist.
“Enjoy the show?” I walked over to Lila with a tight smile. Maybe she wasn’t feeling the same chemistry I was or maybe any man would do.
“It was absolutely amazing.” She nodded and then looked up to the guy next to her. “Didn’t you think so, Dan?” Dan? Did she know this fool?
“Dude, you were great.” He stuck his hand out to shake mine. “Me and my friends have been following you guys from the beginning. We drove in from Philly for the show tonight.”
“Cool, cool.” I shook his hand, his grip was weak. Loser. “Do you guys know each other?” I addressed Lila. All of a sudden I wasn’t so pleased that she was wearing such a revealing dress, but I knew that was hypocritical of me. I’d enjoyed ogling the tops of her breasts when I’d thought the display was for me. Now I wasn’t so happy that every Tom, Dick, and Harry in the bar was getting a glimpse of the goods.
“No, we just met tonight,” Lila said with a small smile, but her face looked unsure, as if she could sense I was pissed. “Everything okay?” She looked concerned.
“It’s fine.” I nodded. “There were some music execs here tonight. I was just thinking of the set wondering if we impressed them.”
“You guys were great.” She leaned forward and touched my arm. “Really great.”
“Glad you think so,” I said abruptly as I saw that Dan’s hand was now on her lower back. “Come with me,” I said and grabbed her hand and pulled her toward me. “Nice meeting you, Dan, but Lila and I need to chat,” I said as he stood there looking slightly dumbfounded.
“What are you doing?” She looked up at me in surprise.
“Who was that guy?” I blinked down at her, trying not to stare at her parted lips. “You know he wanted to fuck you, right?”
“What?” Her jaw dropped, and she blushed. “You don’t know that.”
“I saw how he was looking at you. He wanted to take you outside, bend you over and fuck you,” I said crudely.
“Wow, okay,” she said, her face now looking annoyed with me. “Good to know.”
“Hey.” I stopped suddenly, knowing I was overreacting. “Sorry, I was just being protective of you. You’re my sister’s friend and I don’t want to see you getting screwed over by some jerk.”
“You don’t even know him.” She stood in front of me, her face peering up at me. I could see she was processing something in her mind and I was worried she was going to think I was too much and leave.
“Let me get you that drink I promised you,” I said quickly before she could tell me she was tired and had to leave.
“I don’t know.” She chewed on her lower lip. “It’s been a long day and I should be getting home.”
“Hey,” I said, and I pulled her toward me. “Sorry for being so crazy just now. I’m a little stressed. I’m about to quit my job and become a full-time musician and so I was really worried about how tonight was going to go. I really wanted to impress the execs, you know?” What I said was mostly true, I did want to impress the music executives, but that wasn’t why I’d acted like a jerk. For some reason I’d been really annoyed at the way Dan had been looking at and touching Lila.
“Aw, I see.” She nodded, her face thoughtful. “So you’re leaving Wall Street?”
“Yeah.” I paused as I felt her hand on my arm. “I figure now’s the time. I’m single, no kids, no responsibilities, no debts.”
“Yeah that’s true.” She smiled. “Low overhead, I guess.”
“As low as it can be for New York.” I laughed. “It helps that I don’t have a girlfriend and don’t want one. No need for expensive dinners and gifts.” I saw her face freeze, and I wondered if my honesty had turned her off. I hoped not. I didn’t want her to walk away from me, but I didn’t want to lie to her. I didn’t know what this chemistry between us was but I didn’t want a relationship. I needed to concentrate on my career as a musician. I was already behind the game when it came to the industry. I was thirty and music was a young man’s game. I didn’t have spare time or energy for the drama or time commitment it took to be in a serious relationship.
“I see,” she said and then she just laughed, and the sound shocked and surprised me. That wasn’t the response I’d been expecting. That wasn’t the response I’d gotten from any of the other ladies I’d had this conversation with before. Granted, I hadn’t really cared when they’d gotten upset.
“What’s so funny?” I frowned as she continued laughing, throwing her head back and shaking her head.
“You,” she said as she finally stopped laughing and wiped her eyes. “Don’t worry about me wanting you to take me out for fancy dinners or me having any expectations of you buying me any gifts. I don’t want a relationship with you, Carter.”
“You don’t?” My eyes narrowed. Was she trying to say she wasn’t interested in me? There was no way she had been faking it.
“No, I don’t. Frankly, I think you’d make an awful boyfriend,” she said earnestly.
“Oh?” My jaw hardened. She thought I would make a bad boyfriend?
“I don’t even know you and you’ve already shown your bossy and jealous side.” She rolled her eyes. “I couldn’t even imagine what you would be like to date.”
“I’m not bossy or jealous.” I denied her accusations. What the hell was she talking about?
“Look, let’s not argue.” She leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. “You’re not looking for a relationship and neither am I. Let’s grab a drink and then head back to my place.”
“Oh yeah?” I held the back of her head and kissed her back passionately. “You want to go back to your place?”
“Yeah, we can have some fun.”
“Some fun?” I kissed the side of her neck.
“Yes, some fun. Girls just want to have fun, remember?” She leaned forward and trailed the tip of her tongue along my upper lip and I felt my body stiffening. “Go and get me my drink and hurry up,” she said as she pulled back. There was a devious look in her chestnut brown eyes and I growled under my breath. This woman was trouble with a capital T and I loved it.
“I’ll be right back,” I said as I hurried to the bar. I could see Harley standing next to the music execs and calling me over, but I ignored him. I couldn’t think about anything right now asides from getting Lila her drink and then going back to her place. I was excited to see just how much fun she wanted to have.
“Betsy, give me two of your best cocktails, stat,” I said as I called her over to me. One of the best things about being a musician meant I never had to wait at the bar for a drink and the other patrons didn’t get mad because they knew you were with the band and expected you to get treated like an A-lister. Even though I wasn’t an A-Lister in anyone’s eyes, it felt nice to have some perks.
“Sweet or strong?” Betsy said as she walked over to me, leaving the guy she was serving mid-pour. I grinned at her; Betsy was my girl.
“Both.”
“Who’s the girl?” she asked me curiously as she grabbed two glasses and a bottle of vodka.
“My date for the night.”
“Your date?” Her jaw dropped, and I laughed. “I’ve never heard you refer to them as your date before.”
“I’m not a philistine, Betsy.” I rolled my eyes at her. “It’s not like we’re getting married. She’s just a girl I met that wants to have some fun.”
“Of course.” Betsy just shook her head. “God forbid they want something more.”
“Women know what they’re getting with me.” I reached over and rubbed her hand. “You should be happy that I’m one of the honest guys out there.”
“Yeah, I’m so happy,” she said as she shook a stainless steel mixer and got ready to pour it.
“Have a great evening, Betsy.” I pulled a twenty-dollar bill and left it on the bar for her as a tip. The drinks were free for the musicians, but I always made sure to tip the bartenders well. It made them happy and ensured we had a continuing good relationship.
“Thanks, Carter.” She beamed and tucked the twenty into her bra. “I hope you have a great night.” She winked at me as she handed me the two drinks and I just took them and nodded. She was not the only one that was hoping I had a great night. I was hoping it was going to be a lot more than just great.
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