Be Here Now: A Cedar Creek Novel (25 page)

“He better not. We pay him good money to manage the bar without your help.”

We were all sitting at the bar having a drink and chatting when it was time for
Breaking Habit
to go on.

“Lore!” Chris called my name over the noise in the bar. “You mind announcing them? I’ve got my hands full here.” He wasn’t kidding. The bar was full to capacity and he hadn’t been able to take a break at all.

“Sure! No problem!” I shouted back at him. I gave Jason a quick peck on the lips before I hopped off my barstool. The band was assembled at the side of the stage, waiting and ready. They all grinned at me huge, excited and hyped up to go on. I climbed the steps and walked to the front of the stage to stand in front of the microphone. Loud cheers and clapping greeted me.

“Are you guys ready to party with one of Boulder’s most favourite bands?” The cheers and shouts and clapping grew so loud I had to raise my voice even though I was using a microphone. I grinned at the audience.

“All right, all right! I won’t keep you waiting any longer! Put your hands together for the phenomenal and exceptionally talented band
Breaking Habit
!” I was about to leave the stage when Nick grabbed my hand and pulled me back in front of the microphone. I wasn’t supposed to sing with them until after their first break, so I was a little confused as to why he would do that but didn’t resist.

“Before we let her go, I would like us all to sing a little song for this beautiful young lady here. Or should I say middle-aged woman since she turned thirty today?” I gave Nick a mock-glare for that comment while the audience cheered and laughed. He burst out laughing.

“Okay. You guys ready?” Nick started playing the starting notes of a rock version of Happy Birthday and everyone in the bar chimed in. Then he turned the song into
Lorelei
by Styxx and everyone kept singing with him. Being in the spotlight like this made me a little uncomfortable but also very happy and grateful that I had such good friends. When the song was over, Nick drew me into another hug and kissed the top of my head. I pushed him away, laughing, and told him to get on with it already then jumped off the stage and headed back over to the bar.

Jason had his eyes on me as I walked towards him and they weren’t happy at all.

Oh, dear.

Deciding to cut him off before he could start with his misplaced jealousy, I didn’t stop when I reached him but walked straight into his chest and kissed him, so that he had no choice but to put his arms around me and kiss me back. He didn’t disappoint. He pulled me into him so tightly and kissed me so deeply that people around us started breaking into catcalls. I pressed into him and couldn’t help but groan into his mouth. I was breathless by the time he ended the kiss. His eyes were less angry, but the annoyance wasn’t gone completely.

“That guy puts his mouth on you again I’m gonna kill him.” Yes, he was still angry. I sighed. “I mean it, baby. I can just about take him hugging you, but his mouth on you? No. And just so you know, the same goes for your friend Rick.” I popped my eyes out at him. Though, with Rick I definitely knew he wanted more from me than just a friendship, so I couldn’t much blame Jason for being jealous. I just hadn’t known he had picked up on that.

“How would you feel if I let women, who you know want to fuck me, kiss me and hug me?” I stilled. Shit. He was right. I almost saw red just imagining it. I relented and gave him another kiss, this one soft and apologetic.

“I’m sorry.”

“You need to talk to him, tell him that he has no chance in hell of stealing you from me. If you don’t, I will.”

“I’ll talk to him. Though I still think you’re wrong. He’s just a really good friend. He doesn’t like me that way.”

“Humor me.”

“Looks like I’m humoring you a lot today,” I grumbled a little petulantly.

“I’ll make it up to you later.” His voice had gone from annoyed and angry to low and sexy. My body reacted almost instantly and clenched deep inside. I shivered. Jason read me and gave me a lascivious grin as he lightly ran his finger across my cheek to my mouth. “Later,” he whispered his promise then touched his mouth softly to mine. He let me go and turned me around in his arms so that I was facing my friends again as I leaned my back against his front.

JASON

Jason hadn’t been this happy and content since before Loreley had walked out on him all those years ago. He loved the feeling of holding her in his arms with her body leaning against his as she was chatting and laughing and drinking with her friends. And now that she was finally wearing the ring he had bought for her years earlier, he felt whole again. He had known that no other woman could ever fill the hole that was left behind when he lost her, and feeling her body shaking against him now as she laughed, brought that truth home. He was completely in love with her, heart and soul, and there was no way he would ever let anything or anyone come between them ever again.

Especially not another man who wanted more than just her friendship.

He could understand the feeling since he had felt exactly the same way when he met her in college and she had captured him with her mix of sweet carelessness and sassy attitude. She possessed a charm and vulnerability that made men fall in love with her instantly. And the fact that she was unaware of that power made men want her even more. That was something he knew he would have to live with for the rest of his life. But he didn’t care as long as Loreley understood where he was coming from and didn’t feed into their attraction once he made her aware of it.

He glanced to the stage and listened to the music. He had to give it to them, the band was really good. Nick’s voice sounded phenomenal and the accuracy the whole band played with was impressive. They played like a well-oiled machine and had so much fun doing it that the audience had no chance but to love them.

“Told you they were good.” Loreley’s face was turned towards him, her smile big and proud. Jason couldn’t help but return the smile.

“They are. They only play cover songs?”

“No, they have a whole set of originals. They always play covers first to get the crowd going, though I told them again and again they didn’t need that. They’re great on their own.” Jason nodded and looked back to the stage. Loreley had impeccable taste in music and a great ear. If she said their original songs could hold their own, then he believed her. He was looking forward to hearing them.

He didn’t have to wait long.

About fifteen minutes later, Nick introduced their next song as one of their originals and when they started back up, Jason was even more impressed. Their style was simple but brilliant, their plays and synchronicity were clean, and their lyrics were deep and soulful. Nick’s voice was rough enough to be rock ‘n roll and smooth enough to melt the ladies’ hearts. The perfect balance. This band would definitely go places.

“See?” Loreley nudged him. Oh yeah, he definitely saw.

“You weren’t kidding. They’re very good.” Another proud smile from Loreley. A thought occurred to him.

“You have a hand in that?”

She shrugged, but kept that proud little smile on her face. “A little.” Jason had to kiss that mouth. So he did.

“You’ve always had a great ear.”

“They remind me of you guys before you became one of the world’s most famous rock stars.” There was melancholy in her voice. Jason studied her. Loreley had had a hand in some of their early songs that became number one hits. Thinking about that reminded him that there was something else they had to talk about, but this wasn’t the time or the place. But the melancholy in her voice told him that she missed writing. He hoped she missed doing it with him just as much as he had missed it with her.

“You miss it, don’t you? Taking writing music more seriously like you used to?” It was such an integral part of who she was that he knew he was right. He could see it in her eyes. But living the life of a single mom working a full-time job must have not left her with enough time or energy to pursue that passion. Fuck. Now Jason felt even guiltier for not being there when she needed him.

She shrugged. “I do. I just got back into it these past few months actually.”

“Yo, Lore!” Nick’s voice boomed through the room before Jason could say anything else. Loreley’s head whipped around and Jason looked up. Nick was looking at them, his face was smiling, but his eyes were glinting angrily. “Stop canoodling with your boyfriend and get your sweet ass up here!”

Jason tensed. Calling him Loreley’s boyfriend instead of her fiancée had been deliberate, Jason was sure. As was calling her ass sweet. Nick was goading him.

He returned Nick’s hot stare with a warning glare and kept his eyes locked to his as he turned Loreley in his arms. He only broke eye contact when he clasped her face with both hands and leaned down to kiss her. It wasn’t a normal kiss.

It was carnal.

It was passionate.

It was possessive.

It was showing Nick that Loreley was and always would be his.

“You’re incorrigible.” Loreley knew that the kiss was another pissing contest. She shook her head at him in disbelief but couldn’t quite keep the smile off her face. Jason smirked at her. Then he lifted her left hand up to his mouth and kissed the ring that decorated her finger.

“You think you can stop pissing all over me now? I’m sure he got the message. Heck, the whole bar got the message.” She scowled at him. He grinned at her.

“My point.” Loreley rolled her eyes, but smiled. Jason gave her a quick peck on that irresistible mouth of hers before he turned her and smacked her sweet ass that only he would ever touch in a prompt to go up there.

Loreley squealed and shot him a mock-glare over her shoulder, making him laugh.

God, he had missed her.

He watched as she made her way through the crowd and went up the steps onto the stage, then kept watching as she took her acoustic guitar, hooked it up, and climbed on the stool that had appeared next to the one Nick was now sitting on.

Jason had a feeling he wouldn’t like what was about to happen. Nick was talking into the microphone, but his eyes were warm and smiling as they were following Loreley’s movements.

“This next song has a very special place in my heart. It’s new and it was created by chance during a lazy afternoon jamming session with this beautiful lady sitting next to me. I hope you’ll love it just as much as I do.”

Shit.

They had written a song together.

And by the looks of the set-up it was a slow and romantic song.

Jason also hadn’t missed Nick’s implied meaning of him and Loreley getting together regularly to jam.

He locked his jaw and ground his teeth as he crossed his arms over his chest. No, he was most definitely not going to enjoy the next five minutes.

To his surprise, he did, at the same time he didn’t.

Loreley had always been something else on stage. The way her movement flowed naturally when she strummed the guitar, the way she cocked her head when she started singing, the way you could read the emotions crossing her face when she was singing. She was such a presence he could feel everyone in the room being mesmerized by her.

He wasn’t the only one who was completely enthralled.

And he was proud, so very proud of her talent and passion for music.

And proud that she was all his.

The part he didn’t like was Nick and her singing a powerful and heartfelt song about second chances and being strong enough to move on. No, he didn’t like that part at all, nor the thought that they had written it together before Jason had reclaimed her. It was almost a message, a plea from Nick to let go of the hurt and losses in her past and give him a chance. It was a beautiful song of healing. And Jason was insanely jealous that Loreley was singing it with Nick instead of him.

“She doesn’t see him that way. Never has. Doesn’t even have the slightest clue that he’s had a thing for her for years.” Chris was standing beside him. Jason didn’t say anything. He kept his eyes on his woman as hers found his and she smiled a huge, brilliant smile at him, lighting up her whole face. Jason grinned back at her. Chris kept talking.

“Nick was the one who got her back to writing music. About three or four months ago, when she still hadn’t picked up her guitar after Jesse’s death, he started going over to her house a lot, asking her to help him out with this or that song, and never gave up until she finally relented. He’s helped her a lot.”

Jason ground his teeth but stayed silent. If Chris was trying to reassure him, he was doing a piss poor job of it.

Loreley had told him that morning when they were whispering to each other in bed that she hadn’t touched her guitar for months after Jesse’s death. She had played for him almost every day and Jesse had just started to learn playing the guitar himself. So many memories were connected to her playing that it had been too painful for her. Jason’s heart had constricted at hearing her tell him all this as he imagined the pain she had been in.

She had lost her music when their son had died and he was grateful that she had found it again so it could help her deal. But he wasn’t grateful to learn that the person who helped her rediscover it was the one who was now singing with her on stage with love and adoration in his eyes. It might be selfish, but he wanted to be the one who gave that back to her. Writing songs together had always been theirs; knowing she had shared that with someone else, someone who clearly wanted her for himself, made jealousy curse through him, unreasonably or not. Thank fuck he got his shit together and made her his again. If he had waited much longer, it might have been too late, judging by all the admirers who seemed to be positioning to move in. Thank fuck he knew they wouldn’t stand a chance. Not now.

“You gotta trust her, man. I don’t know if she told you, but she hasn’t been with anyone since you. Not with anyone. Not for anything.”

“I know. She told me. I trust her, Chris. Implicitly. It’s him I don’t trust. He wants her and I have a feeling he’s gonna go in for the kill. Twice he has tried to push my buttons tonight. I know she thinks of him as nothing but a good friend, so how do you think she’s gonna feel when he shows her different?”