Just One Week (Just One Song) (14 page)

He slowly pulls away from me but holds on to one of my hands and spins me around so I’m facing him.

One side of his lips twitches into a quirky grin. “Want to try to kick my ass in pool?”

In this one second, all the tension and seriousness evaporates into nothing. We’re back to being friends; the confessions of our fears instantly far behind us.

“You have yet to beat me. And you won’t start tonight.” I smile and take off running down the beach. I can feel him behind me, our feet pounding on the sandy beach, but he doesn’t reach me. We run until we reach the stairway to Zack’s house, both of us panting for our breath. I lean over, resting my hands on my knees, a wide smile on my face.

It’s a band and chick reunion in Zack’s playroom right now. Our bass player and his wife, Garrett and Chloe, showed up while Mia and I were on the beach. Jake and Sammy are here, and Nicole and Zack are making out in the corner. Mia got distracted as soon as we got back to the house when she saw Chloe and Nic hanging out by the bar, and then when Sammy showed up I knew I lost my chance to see her bent over the pool table. She’s hot when she plays. Not just because she’s the best woman player I’ve ever seen, but because the tip of her tongue sticks out just a little bit when she’s concentrating. She doesn’t even realize she does it, but I love watching her look so focused and determined.

I’m leaning against the back of the couch watching her talk to Chloe and rubbing her hands on Chloe’s swollen stomach.

“Hey man, how’s it going?” Garrett bumps my shoulder and leans against the couch next to me. His jet black hair falls into his eyes and he pushes it out of his face. Garrett’s not that big of a guy, probably not much taller than Mia, but he’s one of the nicest guys I know. I watch Mia’s face light up as she talks to Chloe, laughing at something Chloe said to her. It surprises me she can find such excitement in talking about babies when she’s never had any desire to settle down with a guy … or me. I take a pull from my beer bottle to dislodge the lump in my throat at the thought that she might never be mine.

I shake my head and turn to Garrett. “Good. How’s Chloe?”

“All right. Uncomfortable and bitchy, but she’s only got a few months left. I’m hoping she stops crying over every damn thing once the kid is born.”

It’s like he’s talking in a foreign language. I don’t understand a thing about women and pregnancy, but I nod like I get it.

“You guys have a name picked out yet?”

“Nah, Chloe wants to name him River. But I told her you can’t emasculate the boy before he’s even born.”

One side of my lip curl up. “River? Like a moving body of water?”

He shrugs. “I have no idea. I’m holding out for Spike.”

“Your kid is going to be messed up, either way.”

“What are you two talking about?” Mia asks as she walks up. Her smile is a bit timid and I know she’s still feeling a bit raw from our time on the beach earlier. Hell, I’m still feeling raw from it. I never talk about my foster parents, and hearing Mia put her fears so blatantly out there scares the crap out of me. How do I get her to admit she loves me when she’s so sure of the ending before we even begin?

It doesn’t stop me, though, from pulling her to my side just so I can feel her.

“The names Garrett and Chloe are thinking about for their boy.”

Her face lights up with excitement. “Ohh … what are they?”

“River and Spike.” I watch her lips curl up in disgust and then spread into a slow smile.

“River’s cute!”

Garrett snorts. “River’s a pussy name. Wet and runny.”

“Gross!” Mia looks like she wants to hit him so I smack him across the back of his head before she can reach him. It’s sort of true, though. “And Spike? Is he going to be born with tattoos and a piercing?”

“It’s more badass than River.”

“He’s going to be a baby, not a badass rocker.”

“Yeah, but babies grow up to be men and he should have a man’s name.” I mentally give another point to Garrett and smile when Jake walks over with his swagger that he usually reserves for chicks he’s trying to hit on.

I scowl at him as he heads straight toward Mia even though I know he’s just fucking with me. I watch Mia take him in with a smile and fight down the urge to be jealous. I can see why chicks think Jake is hot. He looks too much like a pretty boy to me, and it’s something I remind him of often. But if you go for that hot, chiseled surfer look – which is how most women describe him – then yeah, I guess he’s all right.

He leans down, kissing her cheek and winking at me at the same time. Fucker.

“How’s our New York fashion star doing?”

Mia’s entire body tenses under my arm and I pull her close, squeezing her shoulder to let her know that I’m here for her. I don’t see what the big deal is in telling people she lost her job. Maybe it’s a pride thing for her. Maybe she really doesn’t want Nic worrying about her, but for whatever reason, I’ll keep her secret. I’ll also keep it a secret that I’ve put out feelers for jobs in Los Angeles and I think I might have found something for her out here. I think being this close to me might scare her a little bit, especially when she learns about my new house not more than fifteen minutes away from Zack.

“Good. It’s just been busy with fashion week coming up, but other than that it’s good. Stressful, the same.” She’s rambling and it’s the cutest damn thing I’ve ever seen. I have to bite back my own laughter.

Jake gives her an odd look. She takes a large gulp of her margarita and some of it dribbles on her chin. Before she can wipe it off, I take my thumb and do it for her, then pull her closer to me so she has to watch me lick it off my thumb.

She gulps and her eyes go wide. I love that even when she’s not sure about us, I can still turn her on. I don’t know if Jake is still anywhere close to us watching and I don’t give a shit. When Mia is within three feet of me, she’s all I see. She’s all I ever want to see. Now I just have to get her to believe and want the same thing.

“How were the waves today?” She finally asks when she takes her eyes off my lips. I’m not discouraged. I can see her pulse beating faster and I know she’s trying to stop thinking of what else my lips can do to her. What they will do to her.

He starts babbling on about beach swells, break outs, carving, and some nasty wipe out he took. If it’s not raining, Jake is surfing every morning when we’re not on tour. I’m pretty sure it’s his religion.

“Nice subject change, babe.” I lick her earlobe, just a quick taste of her before I drop my arms around her. Little bumps show up on her neck and I have to take a step back from screwing her right here in front of everyone. I flash her a smug grin when she frowns as soon as I’m not touching her. Soon, I want to promise her, I’ll be making love to you until you’re screaming my name for the entire house to hear. “You owe me a game of pool.”

“All right.” But she chokes over her words and her cheeks are flushed. She’s so damn responsive to me, it drives me crazy.

By the time Mia is getting ready to kick my ass, every one of our friends are laughing their asses off at me. I’ve got four striped balls left and she’s bent over the table with that little bit of tongue sticking out of the left corner of her mouth, lining up the eight ball to a side pocket. It’s a direct hit and there’s no way she can miss it.

Just as the eight ball falls into the pocket, I expect her to start cheering when the cue ball follows in directly after it.

“You scratched!?” The shocked yell comes from Nic. She’s standing off to the side of the table, her mouth hanging wide open like her jaw just broke.

Mia just shrugs. “Can’t win ‘em all, I guess.”

The little witch. She lost on purpose. I can tell by the little wicked gleam in her eye when she walks up to me. Not that I’m going to call her on it, everyone thinks I just won. I know her better than that, though. The only question I have is, why would she let me win? She loves playing and she’s damn good at it.

I take off to the bar, and she follows. “Congratulations, winner.”

Popping off the top of a beer bottle, I slide one her way and then grab another for me. After I take a drink, I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, swallowing down a belch.

“Why’d you blow the game?”

She smiles innocently and I’m not buying it. “You sounded so concerned about poor little River being emasculated that I didn’t want to hurt your pride by beating you in front of your friends.”

“So that was a pity win?”

“Something like that.”

“Do I need to go prove to you how big of a man I really am now?”

She waves her hand towards the door. “Lead the way, drummer boy.”

I snort and then grab her hand and pull her out the door with me. This woman is going to be the death of me. She runs from hot to cold, turned on to scared out of her mind in a matter of minutes, but if she’s turned on now, I’m not going to waste the opportunity. She could run like hell tomorrow back to New York and never speak to me again.

“Have you talked to Marcia this week?”

I almost gouge myself in the eye with my eyeliner.

I’m standing at the counter putting on my eye make-up, and waiting for my hair straightener to warm up while Chase is sitting on the edge of the bathtub looking sexy as sin in some dark, perfectly fitted blue jeans, black boots, and a dark gray dress shirt. The sleeves are rolled up to his elbows and the top few buttons are open, showing off his forearm muscles and a little bit of his chest hair. I swallow down the drool that’s pooling in my mouth.

“I got a text from her the other day.” I’m trying to be nonchalant and unaffected, but I fail miserably. Chase can see the sadness written all over me. “But I don’t really want to talk or think about it today.”

He nods once. “I get it. But I think I might have something for you. It’s not similar to what you did at Callie’s, in fact, it’s totally different, but it involves fashion.”

My breathing falters as I take in what he’s saying. Chase has actually been looking for a job for me? Why does he look nervous?

“What is it?” I ask, my voice a little bit shaky.

“There’s a decent size production company in Los Angeles and the owner’s a friend of mine. She said her costume design manager is leaving soon and she might be looking to hiring someone in a few months.”

The only thing I hear is the way his voice trips over the word friend. This woman isn’t just a friend. Is he seriously suggesting I go work for someone who he’s had sex with? Or someone he still has sex with? My stomach feels a little sick and I feel an emotion – something unpleasant – but I can’t quite name it. Jealousy? Perhaps. It’s a foreign feeling and something I’m not used to experiencing.

“Friend?” I ask, unable to look him in the eyes through the mirror or turn around to face him. “The way we’re friends?” A heat blossoms on my cheeks. This is what I choose to ask him about? He’s looking out for me, finding me a job, and the only thing I can think of is his hands all over some woman who I’ve never met, and might not ever see.

“Uh … I’m not quite sure how to answer that.” I’m finally able to look at him through the mirror and he definitely looks nervous. His elbows are braced on his denim clad thighs and his hands hang in between them, tapping a rhythm on the inside of his knees. I feel the jealous flutters in my stomach expand into something different. Something much more explainable. Anger. Although I’m still not sure why.

Chase’s eyes are on mine in the mirror and I can feel my fingers tense against the straightener as I pick it up and begin doing my hair. “You want me to go work for a woman you’re having sex with? Could be a bit inappropriate, yes?”

His eyes go wide in shock and then a crooked grin appears. I pretend to be focused on my hair, clamping the iron down on my roots, and slowly pulling it down a thin strip of my hair. Mostly I’m zeroed in on Chase and all the things he’s making me feel right now. Emotions are so much easier to handle when they simply don’t exist.

I watch him in the mirror as he takes the few steps to me before he’s directly behind me. He smiles his crooked grin and sets his hands on the counter, blocking my hips in, and presses against me. I can feel his erection through his jeans as he leans down and brushes my hair off my neck.