Casey
I didn’t usually do things that would lead to heartbreak, but apparently, I wasn’t firing on all cylinders right now. Inviting Erik to come to New York with me had been stupid, and as I finished fixing my face for a night out, I stared in the mirror self-consciously.
I was a rock and roller through and through, from my collection of leather jackets to my custom Harley-Davidson to my penchant for Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, but I often found myself struggling with that label. I had no interest in drugs, though I smoked a little weed once in a while, and I longed to get a bachelor’s degree in music even though I’d probably never need it. I liked ball gowns and makeup just as much as leather pants and worn jeans, and though I didn’t get to travel for fun very often, one of my goals was to visit every corner of the earth.
I didn’t fit into any mold and had always liked that about myself, but with Erik tagging along now, I wondered if he had any idea who I really was. The thought of rejection made me wince a little on the inside, but it wasn’t like I lacked male attention. Men came out of the woodwork anywhere I went, even though most didn’t interest me at all. Touring with Nick meant I’d had a convenient, sexy lover available whenever I wanted so there hadn’t been any need to date. Except now I had the opportunity to spend time with Erik and that was all I’d thought about all day. Hell, I’d been thinking about it on and off since I was about twelve.
A knock on the door forced me to step into my black high heels and grab my purse.
When I opened the door, Erik nearly took my breath away. How was it possible he was even hotter in ripped black jeans and biker boots than he was in a suit? I was in so much trouble.
“Ready for New York?” he asked with a grin.
“The question is, are you ready?” I laughed, hoping my attraction wasn’t somehow tattooed on my forehead.
“I think so.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle.”
His eyes smoldered, and I pretended to be checking my purse for my room key to avoid staring into them too long. I had too much to do and too many plans to make to allow myself to act on whatever was going on between us, but I really wanted to. It was just a few days of fun, though, right? We were adults and would be able to handle something casual and brief. Then, when it was over, I would dive into a few projects I’d had on the back burner for a while now. My dad was in the process of opening a recording studio; I wanted to produce solo albums for myself and for Jade, and then I would use the studio as a way to discover and mentor new talent.
“You looked so serious all of a sudden,” he said gently. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I shut off the light behind me. “Let’s go.”
We took the black SUV Erik had rented to a studio I was planning to visit. Friends of mine were playing a showcase for the press and a bunch of their record company’s executives, and I was hoping to surprise them. It would be a little odd showing up with Erik and Sandor, but since Erik had said his bodyguard and a driver weren’t negotiable, I wasn’t going to worry about it. My goal was to hang out with my musician friends tonight, get drunk, and maybe seduce the object of my fantasies. He’d probably use me and leave me, but you only lived once, right?
“What is this place?” Sandor asked as we pulled up.
“It’s a recording studio that friends of mine booked for a private event,” I said, getting out of the car before our driver, Aziz, or Erik could help me.
We were on the upper west side, at a studio I’d never been to before, and I was pleasantly surprised when we got inside. The room was set up for a combination performance, interviews with the press, and a meet-and-greet for contest winners who’d been invited. An incredible buffet was laid out, including everything from lobster tail to baked Alaska, and champagne flowed from some sort of ice sculpture formed in the shape of a tiger, which was the band’s logo. Tables were set with candles, fresh flowers, and immaculate linens. The band’s music played on the loudspeakers, but other than that, we might have been attending a wedding or a meeting of a board of directors somewhere.
“Remember,” I reminded Erik. “You’re friends of mine from the U.K., and you’re definitely not royalty.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I laughed since I refused to call him that, and now he was throwing it in my face.
“Behave,” I said, looking around for my friends as I headed to the bar. I spotted them on the other side of the room and waved as I ordered a Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire with one ice cube.
Keegan Ryan and Tyler Thompson came running to the bar, lifting me in big bear hugs and spinning me around. Their band, No Intent, had opened for us for all of our New York area shows and we’d gotten to know them pretty well. Their bass player, Tyler, was incredibly talented and it had occurred to me that he would make a great replacement for Nick, but stealing him from his current band would be a shitty thing to do to the rest of the guys. Besides, Tyler was barely eighteen, so he needed a little time to grow up. I didn’t want to be anyone’s mom on tour.
“You didn’t tell us you were coming,” Keegan said, shaking his head. “How’d you get in?”
I laughed. “Really?” The guy at the door had almost genuflected when he recognized me.
“Dumb question.” Tyler nudged his buddy. “So what’s shakin’? How long are you in town? You wanna party?”
“You’re not old enough to party,” I pointed out.
“You weren’t old enough to party when you first went on tour,” he shot back, his eyes twinkling with mirth.
“Do as I say, not as I do,” I teased, laughing.
In my peripheral vision, I caught Erik staring at me and motioned him over.
“Come meet my friends,” I called, holding out my hand to him.
The sexy bastard approached us with a smile that did things to my heart. Damn, was he teasing me or was I just completely in love?
“Gin and tonic, please,” he said to the bartender. “Twist of lime.”
“Erik, this is Tyler Thompson and Keegan Ryan, with No Intent. This is their first album, and my dad co-wrote one of the songs.”
“Nice to meet you.” Erik smiled lazily, and then he gave me a once-over that made it very clear I belonged to him. What the hell was that about?
“This is my friend Sandor,” he continued.
“Where are you from?” Keegan asked, his eyes already glassy from one too many glasses of champagne. “The U.K.?”
“I just finished my master’s in business at Oxford,” Erik responded casually. “I guess I picked up a bit of an accent.”
“New boyfriend?” Tyler murmured under his breath.
“None of your business,” I whispered back.
“We gotta warm up,” Keegan said. “Nice to meet you guys—we’ll see you after, Casey.”
“Break a leg,” I called after them.
“They look young,” Erik commented.
“Keegan’s twenty-two and Tyler’s eighteen. He was still seventeen when they opened for us earlier this year. He turned eighteen while we were in Boston, and we had a huge party for him. I invited his parents and everything. It was great.”
“That was nice of you.”
“I’m actually pretty nice.”
“Are you?” His eyes met mine again and it took all of my self-control not to kiss him. Except he was looking at me like he wanted me to and suddenly, I didn’t care. Why shouldn’t I throw caution to the wind? What was the worst thing that could happen?
Before I could change my mind, I raised myself up on my tiptoes and pressed a light kiss right on his lips. Nothing prepared me for how soft they were. Or how much I liked it. I was in so much trouble.