The way Drew drove the crowd to a fever pitch and then eased them back down was masterful, and almost painful for Katrina to watch. When he made music, he was in his element. His mind, body, and heart were totally engaged.
She wanted to feel what it was like to have his voice caress her. Without the cochlear implant, she would never be able to share that with him. If they were to become a couple she needed to experience what he was in every way she could.
A couple. Now she’d seen Drew’s parents together and learned what bonding meant, she couldn’t stop thinking about the possibilities.
Would making love with Drew be as powerful as what the women felt listening to him sing? Could any man live up to that hype?
But he wasn’t a man. His heritage included one of the most seductive species on earth. Even if she hadn’t been aware of that important difference, she’d have found him compelling, attractive, desirable.
The sweet smell of fruit juice, liquor, and perfume blended with sweat and human endorphins hanging in the air like incense. Above it all she caught Drew’s scent, musky with heat, spicy with sex, with a touch of the sea. He didn’t use the subtle smell to seduce. It was a part of his being Mer, Siren, and whatever preternatural cocktail his mother added to the mix.
After the group took a break and disappeared backstage, the bouncer, Clyde, approached her table. The man was huge, muscular, and smiled at her with a touch of flirtation. It probably worked for him with most women, but she had her mind so full of Drew she wasn’t tempted. “Drew wants you to join him back stage.”
Katrina nodded and rose.
He took her arm to guide her through the crowd to the side stairs. “Third door on the right.”
“Thank you.”
She climbed the stairs and walked down the hall. She paused at the door Clyde had indicated and tapped at it. It opened so quickly she gasped. Drew had a towel hung around his neck and was drinking from a bottle of water. His hair was glued to his nape with sweat, so wet he looked like he’d taken a shower. He was panting from exertion. “I wanted to check on you and see how you’re doing.”
“I’m fine.” Unable to keep from touching him, she stepped forward and, taking the end of the towel wiped his face clear of sweat. Something more was going on. He was agitated, and the dark pupils of his eyes were dilated. “What is it?”
“The lights get hot,” he explained.
“I can see that. But this is more than the lights.”
He grasped her hands and held them. “Your scent is driving me crazy, Katrina.”
Her pulse hammered when she saw the fierce, aching need in his face.
“I’m up there singing to all those women and surrounded—saturated—with your fragrance, and all I can think about is how much I want you.”
She had been doing the same thing, only she could hide the repercussions of her desire a little more easily. His cheekbones suddenly sharpened, became more defined. A feverish rush of heat flared off of him, and every nerve in her body responded. She was wet and ready in an instant.
He shoved his hand into his pocket and withdrew a set of keys. “I need you to take these and drive home. I’ll have one of the guys drop me by your apartment after the show to pick up the car.”
What had she been thinking to allow her thoughts, her emotions such free rein? She’d obviously been putting out pheromones along with all the humans. “I’m sorry, Drew.”
“Honey. Don’t ever apologize for wanting me. After being desired for the pleasure I can give with my voice…to be wanted for just me? It’s a gift.”
Not if it tortured him so. The need to mate was so strong for them both, but Drew had the added demand of his Siren nature to deal with.
She could ease him. All they had to do was have sex. “How long is your break?” she asked.
His gray-blue eyes grew darker. “Not long enough.”
The words are you sure? sprang to mind.
Drew grinned as though he’d read the thought. “Look at this place, Katrina.”
The dressing room was drab, though clean. A couch, a few chairs, a mirror that stretched the length of the small room, a dressing table, and the castoffs of all the performers who’d occupied the space cluttered one corner.
Drew cradled her chin and pulled her gaze back to his face. “When we make love, I want to have plenty of time to explore every way we can fit together, and take our time about it.”
She drew a trembling breath and her legs went weak. All the intimate areas of her body tingled and throbbed, and she could feel her face heating with a fierce blush.
“Take the keys. I’ll be there in an hour or so to get the car.”
“Okay.” She could barely get the word out.
“Let Clyde walk you to the car.”
“He doesn’t have to. I can take care of myself.”
“Let him walk you. I’d do it myself if it wasn’t such a madhouse out there.”
She was still too affected by the images he’d conjured of them making love to argue. “Okay.”
“There’s a surprise for you in the console between the seats. I was going to give it to you when I took you home. I hope it will entertain you until I get there.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
She stepped closer, the desire to kiss him nearly overwhelming. It might make things more difficult for him.
Drew caught her mouth with his in one sweet, searing kiss, then set her away.
Dizzy with need, she slipped from the room.
Drew dragged air into his lungs and fell into one of the chairs. The farther away she traveled, the easier it was for him to block her scent, her feelings. The seesaw of her emotions had made it very hard for him to concentrate on the performance. He’d never been so aroused in his life.
He had to talk to his father tomorrow and learn how he was supposed to close off the link between them. He shouldn’t bring her back to the club until he could control it.
It would be easier on him if he stayed away from her until he had a handle on this. Stay away from her…he couldn’t say forever. He didn’t think he’d have the discipline to do that.
How could his emotions, his reasoning change so drastically after spending less than twenty-four hours with her?
A knock came at the door and he went to answer it.
Roma shoved past him into the room, bringing with her a cloud of Chanel No. 5 and woman. A skin-tight red dress clung to her generous curves and cupped her large breasts, its low cut neckline displaying a wealth of cleavage. She looked like pure sex. “We have to talk, Drew.” Her bottom lip quivered. “You can’t break things off with me and not give me a reason.”
Fuck! He didn’t need this. “I thought I made it clear, Roma. You aren’t in love with me. I’m not in love with you. We were wasting our time with each other.”
“We were good together, Drew,” she whined.
“In bed, sure. But beyond sex, we have nothing in common. So I broke it off so we could move on.”
She slid her arms around his neck and leaned into him, pressing her heavy breasts against his chest. “But I didn’t want to move on. I’m in love with you.”
Even the way she said the words sounded pouty and false. Drew untangled himself. “You were in love with the sex. And now you’ve heard about the recording contract, you want to cash in on our relationship.”
Her mouth flew open in a sexy O she’d probably practiced in front of a mirror. “How can you think that?”
“So you have heard about the contract.” He knew it.
“Of course I have. It’s all everyone is talking about. But that isn’t the reason I’m here.” She pasted on a look of hurt. “I thought you cared about me.”
Why had he gotten involved with her? Because she was superficial and he’d known there’d be no chance of them bonding. Sex with no strings, as always. Why had he continued to make the same mistakes over and over when all along he’d wanted more? “I do care about you, Roma, but I’m not in love with you. I’m looking for someone I can spend my life with, not just pass the time.”
Her dark eyes grew glazed with crocodile tears. “Was passing the time with me so terrible?”
“No. We entertained each other. And we gave one another pleasure. But it’s never been anything more than friends with benefits.”
He could read the mercurial wave of her emotions as they crossed her face. Disappointment when he didn’t fall to his knees begging for another chance. Then anger.
“And what if I say I’m pregnant?”
His heart skipped a beat. No way. He’d used protection every time. He checked in her scent. When a woman was pregnant, her normal essence changed, because the baby added something to it. Roma’s scent was the same as it had always been. He’d known she was narcissistic and self-serving, but he’d never seen this manipulative side before. What little feeling he had for the woman died.
“I’ll call my father and arrange for an appointment. He’s one of the top fertility specialists in the country. He can do a test tomorrow. But I’ll want a paternity test as soon as the baby’s born.”
Frustration and outrage warred on her face, and she planted both hands against his chest and shoved hard. Drew didn’t even pretend to stumble back, but met her dark look with a hard one of his own. “We’re not playing games anymore, Roma. It’s over.”
She stomped to the door. “You’ll regret this. I don’t know what you think you have in common with that girl. She can’t even hear you sing.”
Something to be grateful for. “Leave Katrina out of this, Roma.”
“Why would you want her? She’s deaf.” She spoke as though being deaf meant she had a communicable disease.
Anger stormed through him, and he clenched his hands into fists. He dragged in several calming breaths and waited for the backwash of rage to roll off of him before he spoke. “Katrina’s beautiful, smart, artistic, and we have things in common you would never understand.”
“And you think you’re in love with her?”
“Who I love or not is my business.”
“I don’t think you’re capable of loving anyone. You’re a cold bastard, Drew.”
“You didn’t think I was cold when I was between your thighs giving you what you wanted. Or when I was humming in your ear to help you get off. Should I make that appointment for you with my father?” he goaded her.
“Go to hell.” She stormed out of the dressing room and nearly collided with Rand. The man raised a brow and one side of his mouth quirked. “Is there a problem?”
“You can go to hell, too.” She stomped off, her hips twitching.
Rand grinned at Drew. “We could hear the two of you through the wall, dude. That is one conniving bitch.”
Drew grudgingly answered. “Yeah, she is.”
“She’s not really pregnant?”
“No.” Drew shook his head. “Just a ploy.”
“Katrina’s definitely a step up.”
“Yeah, she is.”
“Are you feeling better despite all the drama?” Rand asked.
“Yeah.” Tormented by emotions and his own desires, he’d been more than abrupt with Simon before he disappeared into the empty dressing room to try and fight off the needs bombarding him. “Did you draw the short straw to come check on me?”
“Yeah.”
Drew laughed. “Sorry, I was an asshole. I was sick. I took some aspirin and I think my temperature is coming down.”
“Simon said you were burning up with fever. If you need to call it a night, we’ll figure something out,” Rand said, his expression sympathetic. “It might be better if you did. The rest of us don’t want to catch whatever you’re coming down with.”
Whenever Rand did something nice, he always had an ulterior motive. Was he hoping to prove the band could do without their lead singer?
Drew had never missed a performance, and he wouldn’t allow himself to do so now. He couldn’t rag Rand about his behavior and then go to Katrina in the hopes of having sex with her. And if they did…
He’d always told himself he controlled his sexuality, not the other way around. He needed to man up now, and control it. “I spent all morning at the beach, and I think I got too much sun, sand, and surf. I appreciate the offer to cover for me, but I’ll finish the gig. I’ll need a ride afterwards to Katrina’s to pick up my car, though.”
Rand looked disappointed but nodded. “I can drop you.”
“Thanks.” The guys were fantastic musicians. Why not showcase their talents? Maybe that’s what they needed to do anyway.
They wandered down the hall to the stage. He motioned to Simon and Tony to join them in the wings. “I’m still running a fever. How would you guys feel about taking the lead on a few songs and I’ll back you up for a change.”
“We haven’t practiced anything like that Drew,” Tony said.
“Sure we have. Every time you pick up your guitar, you’re practicing a solo performance in your head. It’s time they learn how talented you guys are. Let’s relax and jam for the rest of the evening and make music.”
The surprise on Rand’s face was worth the risk. Why hadn’t it occurred to him to encourage this before? Because his Siren and Encantado backgrounds made him as narcissistic as Roma, and he liked being the front man. This connection to Katrina had opened his emotional eyes, not just to her, but to his fellow band members.
A wide smile broke across Simon’s face. “Let’s get started.”