Gone for You (Sixth Street Band #1) (15 page)

“I heard the front door close,” she said playfully. “Is the coast clear?”

I slipped the phone into my front pocket. “All clear, darlin’.”

She stepped into the room, the slit on the side of the deep burgundy dress falling open to reveal an expanse of her creamy thigh as she sashayed toward me. The dress was strapless, with just a hint of soft skin spilling over the top of the bodice. Her blond hair was gathered in a loose bun with a few strands falling on her shoulders.

“You like?” She twirled in front of me.

Her smile faded when she looked at me, rooted to my spot.

“I-I really liked the color.” She flushed. “If it’s too much—”

“Baby, you’re beautiful.” Stepping forward, I took her hands, looking in her eyes as I brought them to my lips. “Stunning.”

She smiled. A brilliant smile, shy and full of promise.

Try not to hurt me, Cam. Please try.

I lowered my mouth to hers for one quick taste.

“Dinner’s ready,” I murmured against her lips. “Unless you’d like to have dessert first.” Running my hand over her hip, I groaned. “Please tell me you’re wearing something underneath this dress.”

Pecking my lips, she pulled me toward the table.

“I’ll never tell.” Sinking into the chair, she crossed her legs and let the slit fall open. It stopped just short of the Promised Land. “You’ll have to find out for yourself. Later.”

My gaze was fixed at the top of her thigh. She grabbed my hand when I reached for her, seemingly unable to stop myself. Bringing my fingers to her lips, she gave me a wicked grin and slid her pink tongue over the tip of my index finger.

Later
.

Chapter 19

W
ould you like another glass of wine, baby?” I leaned close to Lily’s ear, running my hand over the curve of her hip as we waited in the theater lobby. She’d kept me at bay, even scooting over to the far end of the seat in the limo when my fingers moved up the slit on her dress.

She looked at the line at the bar and up at the clock above the huge doors to the inner theater.

“One more.” She drained her glass, and she handed it to me. The smile on her face was plastered in place. We stood off to the side of the bustling crowd as she surveyed the room with a series of sidelong glances.

“I’ll be right back.”

She yipped when I leaned in for a kiss and squeezed her ass before I sauntered off. Lily may have been nervous as hell, for whatever reason, but I was relaxed. I caught a few stares, but quickly realized it was from my long hair, not because someone recognized me.

It wasn’t that I was recognized everywhere I went. It was when an overzealous fan crossed the line that things got awkward. Having a random chick pull out her tit and insist I sign it was surreal enough; doing it in front of my mother was downright embarrassing. I’d yet to see how Lily would react, but not bringing it into her world was a relief.

Grabbing the two glasses of wine, I looked around for Lily. I dismissed the small group of six or seven that were standing to my right, until I saw the burgundy of her dress when someone moved to the outside of the group. Her gaze fell on mine, panic written all over her face.

Marching up, I cleared my throat. “Excuse me.”

Several sets of eyes turned to me as I stepped inside the tight circle.

“Here you go, darlin’.” Handing Lily her glass, I dropped my hand to her waist and pulled her to my side.

Every muscle in her body was tense.

“Cameron, I’d like you to m-meet my p-parents.” She motioned at the couple in front of us. “M-Marcus and A-Abigail T-Tennison.”

“Lillian,” her mother admonished, without acknowledging me. “All those speech classes, and you still stutter.”

The guy at her father’s side chuckled. “Sometimes it was kind of cute,” he said, eyeing her over the top of his wine glass. “Not always, though, eh, Lily?”

“Mr. Tennison.” Extending my hand to her father, I kept my gaze on the asshole at his side that hadn’t taken his eyes off my girl. “Cameron Noble.”

Marcus Tennison had the same piercing blue eyes, the same high cheekbones as his daughter. He was a formidable man, but at the moment, his gaze was soft. Wistful. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Lily. “Mr. Noble.” Turning his attention to me, he squeezed my hand firmly. “My wife, Abigail.”

Her father gave cursory introductions to the other two couples while Lily stood awkwardly, sipping her wine.

“And this is Craig.” Marcus awkwardly patted the guy on the back. “He’s works at the Tennison Foundation.”

Craig
. The ex-fiancé. The loser that dumped Lily for dropping out of business school.

“I thought your name was Knight. That’s what the papers said. Aren’t you a part of that rock band?” Craig glanced over me with disdain.

“Knight is my stage name.”

His gaze dropped to my arm that was wrapped around Lily.

“But you can call me Mr. Noble if you’d like.”

He startled at the petite blond that slipped in beside him. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek before turning to the group and flashing a million dollar smile. The best smile that modern dentistry could buy. It died on her lips when her eyes locked on Lily.

“Lily—it’s nice to see you again.” Moving closer to Craig, she forced the corners of her mouth to bend. “I didn’t think you attended the ballet. Anymore at least.”

“H-hello, A-Amber.” Taking a deep breath, Lily seemed to search for the next word. “I-I…” Giving up, she snapped her mouth shut, taking another sip of her wine. Amber turned to me, her eyes going wide the second recognition dawned. A flush of color started at her collar and worked its way to her cheeks.

“Oh…my,” she breathed. “You’re Cameron. Cameron Knight.”

Hitching a brow at Craig, I gave her a tight smile. “That I am.”

“You’re here…at the ballet.” Amber seemed confused. “With Lily?”

Craig snorted, taking another gulp of wine.

All eyes were on me. Except Lily’s. She stared at the floor, her mouth set in a frown. “I’ve never been to the ballet. But since my girlfriend is such a huge supporter, I figured I might as well get used to taking her,” I said, shifting my gaze to Craig. “I wouldn’t want anybody to accuse me of not appreciating the arts.”

Nodding slowly, Marcus was on the verge of a smile when Amber spoke.

“How long have you two been…
dating
?” The jab was directed at Lily, but Amber looked at me innocently.

Lily stiffened to the point of shattering beneath my touch. My fingers tightened on her hip as I felt the first syllable struggling to escape her throat.

“Long enough to know I’m a lucky guy.” Ignoring the rest of the group, I let my gaze settle on Abigail. “I’ve never met anyone as special as your daughter, Mrs. Tennison. I can’t imagine how proud you must be of her.”

Lily looked at her mother, waiting for the tiniest scrap of kindness. She leaned forward, as if she could pull it from her mother.

“Quite,” Abigail said, her cold gaze never leaving mine. When the lights flickered, she slipped her hand in the crook of her husband’s arm. “If you’ll excuse us, the ballet is about to begin.”

Marcus leaned in, brushing Lily’s cheek with a soft kiss. “Have a good night, Lily Bear,” he murmured, before pulling away.

Looking solely at Lily, I almost didn’t notice his outstretched hand. I shook it mechanically, mumbling my goodbye.

“Goodnight, D-Daddy.” Lily shifted her gaze to Abigail. “Goodnight, M-Mom; it w-was n-nice to—” Her face fell when her mother turned away without letting her finish.

Fusing her lips tight, Lily nodded her goodbyes to the other two couples, her eyes never leaving her mother’s back as the woman walked away. Shuddering, Lily shrank into me when the doors shut behind them.

“So, Lily…” Smelling blood in the water, Craig leaned in to deliver the final blow. “Have you sold any paintings, or are you planning on keeping your career in food and beverage?”

His derisive laughter snapped Lily out of her haze. Stepping forward, her blue eyes ignited with fury.

“Don’t think that just b-because you have my f-father fooled that I don’t know exactly who you are. I know w-what you did—calling my boss.” She turned to Amber, whose chin had dropped. “I thought you were my f-friend, Amber. But you two deserve each other. And just so you know, when Craig gets d-drunk, he still calls
me
.”

Snapping her mouth shut, Amber turned a stony gaze on Craig before her mask of serenity returned. “That’s pathetic, Lily. Almost as pathetic as dragging your one night stand to the ballet and trying to pass him off as your boyfriend.” She lifted her chin. “Clearly you’ve been sniffing too many paint fumes.”

I slipped my arm around Lily’s waist. “I think it’s about time you two go find your seats. Or better yet—” Pulling our tickets from the pocket of my jacket, I shoved them at Craig. “Take ours. I’m sure they’re better. I don’t think I could stand sitting in the same room with y’all, and I sure as hell don’t want my girl anywhere near you.” Shifting my gaze to Amber, I looked her up and down before turning back to Craig. “Lily’s a brilliant artist. So I’d think twice before putting her down, because one day she’ll be able to buy and sell your ass. And probably mine. But that’s okay, because I’ll be there when she does it.”

Looking up at me in disbelief, Lily’s mouth hung open. The only thing I wanted more than to put Craig in the hospital was getting her alone so I could make her believe every word I’d said.

Pulling her to my side, I looked down at her and raised a brow. “What do you say, baby? Let’s get out of here. I think we’ve had enough culture for one night.”

Lily smiled. That heart-stopping smile that was only for me. Turning toward the door, I stopped when Craig’s hand came down hard on my shoulder.

“You want to step outside, fucker?” he bit out, the fabric of my coat twisting out of his grasp when I spun around.

“You’ve been watching too many movies, son,” I growled, yanking at the tie around my neck. “But in this version, you don’t get to walk away with your teeth. I’ll be happy to save you the trip outside and drop you right here.”

I felt Lily’s hand on my back, a second before I heard her heels clicking on the marble floor as she walked away. Glancing over my shoulder, I closed my eyes and prayed for self-control. The rush of wind when she pushed open the door blew her hair. Swaths of golden strands were the last thing I saw before the glass door whooshed shut behind her.

The girl made me forget about all the things that were important to me. Or what I used to think was important. Letting some chump off the hook to chase a girl? Not in this lifetime.

Cursing, I turned on my heel and took a few steps, Craig’s insults rising up behind me.

“Just remember, I got there first.” he jeered. “’Course, I wouldn’t touch her now. If she let you hit it, who knows how many other guys have had a go at her.”

That’s the ticket.
He found the one spot on my soft underbelly that penetrated my armor.

My fist was already cocked when I spun and met the piercing, blue eyes of Marcus Tennison, standing two feet behind Craig. His facial features were not the only thing he shared with his daughter. The crease on his brow, deepened by age, showed the measure of his displeasure at the moment.

Dropping my hand to my side, I stared blankly at Craig.

“What’s the matter, chickenshit?” Craig took a step forward. “Cat got your tongue?”

Fuck it. Even the great Marcus Tennison wasn’t going to keep me from pounding this motherfucker into next week. Lunging, Marcus beat me to it, yanking Craig backward and out of my reach.

Whipping his head around in surprise, Craig deflated the moment he realized who had hold of his collar. Amber’s mouth fell open, her eyes as wide as saucers.

“Marcus—”

“Shut up, Craig,” Marcus spat, turning his attention to me. “Cameron, if you wouldn’t mind finding my daughter, I’ll handle this matter for you.” He gave Craig a sidelong glance, the disdain evident. “I had my chance to play the hero. Sadly, I didn’t. Don’t tell Lily I intervened. It’s an empty gesture, at best. But rest assured, I will deal with this.” Craig winced when Marcus gave him a firm shake. “I love my daughter, and I want her to be happy. If you can make her happy, please do. She deserves it.” He gave me the shadow of a smile. “If you’ll excuse me.”

“Yes, sir.”

Craig met my gaze briefly before Marcus turned him in the direction of the theatre, his hand still firmly on the collar of the younger man’s jacket. Amber stood frozen, looking over her shoulder at the asshat being dragged through the lobby like a whipped dog.

I couldn’t resist one parting shot. When I stepped in front of her, she swiveled her head to me, shock painting every feature on her face.

“Looks like you bet on the wrong horse.” I looked her up and down, unable to disguise my contempt. “I was more than willing to put your boy in the hospital, but I think Marcus has that handled.” I barked out a laugh. “And we both know Craig is the only one that has a problem with his tongue. Mine works just fine.”