Midnight Heat (Black Phoenix Book 2) (10 page)

Noah kicked his feet up on the table, tipped his head to rest on the back of the seat and tossed his arm over his eyes. It was a moment before he spoke, “There’s something she’s not telling me.”

Dom thought back to the past week. The fact he couldn’t stand to be in the studio meant he’d spent more time with Isabeau than usual. “You’re making something out of nothing.”

“Yeah? Why are you so smart about my relationship?”

“Because it isn’t
mine
. I’m an idiot when it comes to my own.”

Noah laughed softly. His posture relaxed. “About Becca.”

“What about Becca?” Dominic asked, tipping the bottle to his lips.

“You’re not planning to screw it up again, are you?”

He’d already done irreversible damage to their relationship. Dom cleared his throat, memories forming a thick knot. “Why didn’t you tell me she went to you after I left?”

“You were hurting enough already. I figured you’d come to your senses sooner or later.”

“And when I didn’t?”

“What good would it have done to tell you that when she realized you were gone, she collapsed in my arms and cried? You didn’t need that image. You were beating yourself up about it enough already.”

He was still beating himself up over it and had to wonder if it would have made a difference to him if he
had
known? Would it have brought him back to her sooner? Or caused him to run faster?

Dom scrubbed his free hand over his face, trading his empty for a fresh bottle when he discovered he hadn’t gone numb yet.

Noah watched him pop the top and take a long pull. “How much of that do you plan to drink?”

“Every last bloody one.” He tipped the bottle at Noah in a mock salute.

“You want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“Because I could always teach you that caveman maneuver,” Noah said with a grin. “It worked well for me.”

Dom heaved a breath and changed the subject. Throwing Becca over his shoulder and hauling her off to bed wouldn’t repair their relationship. Sure, it would be an amazing distraction but when the orgasms were over and reality set back in, she’d probably hate him for it. Giving her another reason wasn’t high on his list of wants right now. “How’s the record coming along? Alex still referring to
Rapture
as ‘slow, emotional vomit’?”

Noah shook his head. “That boy is out of control. You can’t rejoin us in the studio fast enough.”

He’d be down there tonight, allowing the music to infuse him and push all thought from his mind if he could only tolerate it. “Still feels like the back of my skull is going to come off. Especially when Alex starts pounding out a rhythm on the drums.”

“He’s so damn young and…energetic.”

At twenty-three, Alex was younger than Dominic by seventeen years. “We were the same way at his age.”

“Bloody hell, let’s hope he matures faster than we did.”

Dom chuckled. Maybe he was beginning to numb after all. “He’s right, you know. I wouldn’t call the song emotional vomit, but cranking it up a notch and boosting the bass would keep it from being too heavy.”

“I agree.” Noah closed his eyes and sighed. “It’s going to go to his head. His ego is already so large I don’t know how he fits through doorways.”

For some reason that cracked Dom up. Yup, feeling no pain now. When had he become such a lightweight? “Alex has talent, that’s why we invited him to join the band. We knew he’d be an asset both onstage and in the studio. Otherwise, any old drummer would suffice.”

“Yeah. I’m glad you weren’t hurt worse in that accident. Last thing we need is to have to look for another new member.”

When Dom narrowed his eyes, Noah smiled. “That was a long and arduous process. I wouldn’t want to have to go through it again.”

A shock of pain arrowed through him at the thought of being replaced. Dom shrugged it off. “You know you couldn’t go on without me.”

“I could. It would be tough but after a week or two—”

“Piss off, you cheeky bastard.”

Noah pushed to his feet. “All joking aside, I would appreciate it if you didn’t scare me like that again.”

“I’ll do my best.”

He dropped a hand to Dom’s shoulder and squeezed. “Thanks. I honestly don’t think I could do this without you.” Then he headed for the stairs, leaving Dom in stunned silence.

Chapter Eight

After an endless night of no sleep, Rebecca found herself driving along the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. She could tell herself the scenery drew her, calmed her frazzled nerves and brought her a bit of peace after a hellish week. And it would be true. Except that peace was not what brought her to Auburn today. Dominic did.

Her mind was still back in her living room, having her say and watching the blood drain from his face and pain fill his eyes. Had been since she’d shed her last tear, picked herself off the floor, and climbed into bed. Where she’d tossed and turned until dawn.

Something had to be done. She only had two days off before another hectic stretch at work. She needed to clear her head and rest up. Which is why, after pacing her house for hours this morning, she’d finally slid behind the wheel of her car.

The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, temporarily blinding her. She adjusted her visor before spotting a woman making her way up the side of the road at a jog. Black ponytail swinging, her pace was steady and sure footed. Right up until she came to an abrupt halt and vomited.

The touchscreen on her dash read 65 degrees outside. Not commonly hot enough to cause heat-related illness, but she didn’t want to take the chance. Pulling off to the shoulder, she grabbed her bottled water from the cup holder and got out of the car.

She walked back to where the jogger stood bent at the waist, one hand on her hip, the back of the other pressed against her mouth. “Excuse me.”

The woman startled. Her head snapped up, pale grey eyes wide with alarm.

“Isabeau? I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. I was driving and saw you stop.” Rebecca offered the bottle of water. “Rebecca Dahlman. I met you at the hospital a few nights ago.”

“Yes, I remember,” Isabeau said, taking the water and rinsing her mouth with the contents.

“Are you okay?” She didn’t appear to be out of breath, wasn’t sweating heavily, or holding herself in a way that would indicate cramping. “Do you need any help?”

“I haven’t been feeling well lately and foolishly thought I could handle a run.” Isabeau shrugged and flashed a grin. “I’m fine. A bit embarrassed but otherwise fine.”

“Would you like a ride home?”

Her gaze slid over Rebecca’s shoulder to where the car sat idling. She was quiet a moment then nodded. “That would be great. The house is just up the road a bit.”

With Isabeau’s help Rebecca found the house in less time than it would have taken alone. Everything appeared so different in the daylight, including the home itself. A tall oak was the central feature in the front landscaping, with rock mulch and native plants completing the look. A short rock wall wrapped around the side, disappearing from sight. It was truly beautiful. The type of place Rebecca would love to call home. If not so far from the hospital.

After exiting the vehicle Isabeau stepped to the solid wood front door where she pressed her thumb to a pad. An audible tone sounded, followed by the
click
of the lock disengaging.

It was the first time Rebecca had seen such a set up. “That is slick.”

“It still works with a key but makes one unnecessary, which is a plus when you’re outside working.”

“Or jogging.”

“Exactly.” Isabeau smiled then pushed the door open. “Come on in.”

A black granite entry soon gave way to gleaming cherry hardwood. Leading the way, Rebecca stepped past a hallway that went left, and a sweeping staircase leading to the upper level. Straight through until she found herself centered in the great room, complete with baby grand piano and a panoramic view of the foothills. The giant room was separated into sections with the use of furniture. A couch, two-person lounger, and reclining chair sat atop a rug and beneath a chandelier in the section closest to them. Four chairs surrounded a low table in front of a floor to ceiling fireplace occupied the far end.

“You have a beautiful home, Isabeau.”

“Thank you. Noah already owned the house when I met him. He’d picked it up as a foreclosure and had a studio put in the walkout basement but nothing else done. Everything was white at that time, including the kitchen cabinets. I made a few changes.”

“Obviously.”

The upstairs of the house had been constructed only on the front half of the home, creating a loft effect. Below the loft, next to the entry, was an open kitchen. No longer white, it sported cherry cabinets, granite counters and stainless restaurant-quality appliances.

“Did you come from a large family?” Rebecca asked, a bit stunned by the size of the dining area off the kitchen. Where the longest table she had ever seen in a home sat surrounded by at least twenty chairs.

“I love to cook. On Sundays I make brunch and welcome any friends or family who happen to be in the area. Nick, do you know Nick, the band’s guitarist? Nick, his wife Tracey, and their two children usually come. Alex, the new drummer. And Dom, of course.”

She blinked in surprise. Dominic? It was hard to picture him in such a domestic scene. “Have you ever filled every seat?”

“Once. King Soul was in town – a band who toured with Black Phoenix years ago.” Smile in place, she began ticking off people on her fingers. “They brought their manager, sound and lighting guys, wardrobe mistress, and all three of their bus drivers. I ran out of space at the table.”

As an only child who spent most of her youth alone, Rebecca couldn’t imagine what it would be like having that many people in her home. Sure, she dreamed of surrounding herself with family – a husband and lots of kids – but what Isabeau described went beyond that. “It sounds hectic.”

“It’s wonderful. You’re welcome to join us anytime. We usually eat around eleven-thirty.”

Rebecca nodded and looked around the room, her gaze once again drawn to the piano. “Who plays; you or Noah?”

“I used to. Now I mostly just compose.”

“It’s an odd coupling, isn’t it? A pianist and a rock singer.”

Isabeau blinked. She let out a slow grin. “I suppose it is.”

“At least there’s a connection. You both share a love of music.”

“It helped I was a fan of their music before I met Noah at the bar.”

“You met Noah in a bar?” It struck Rebecca like the beginning of a bad joke:
A pianist and rock star walk into a bar…
She smiled.

“I know what you’re thinking, but you’d be wrong. I owned the bar.”

“Do you still have it or did you sell it before you moved?”

“It burned down a week before I came to California. Arson.”

Shock rippled through her. “That’s terrible. Was anyone injured?”

“Yes,” Isabeau replied, her eyes shuttering a bit. “But not the person he was after.”

Meaning her. Someone had been after Isabeau, but she’d survived. It was obvious by her closed expression she didn’t want to talk about it, so Rebecca changed the subject. She walked away from the piano and closer to the windows with the stunning view. “I had no idea who Dominic was when I met him. I’d never heard of him.”

It was the right move, as the shadows immediately left Isabeau’s face. “No?” A smile blossomed. “I bet that was a blow to his ego.”

There was something about her smile. Rebecca had noticed it at the hospital, too. It lit her up. Took her from okay to beautiful. “He does have quite an ego, doesn’t he? By the way, fantastic job with the minivan.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Isabeau said with a straight face. Then a smirk appeared and they both laughed. “He scared the life out of me. Getting that call…I suppose you’ve noticed he’s more than just my husband’s closest friend, he’s—”

“Your friend, too.”

“We’re all close, being with each other as much as we are, but Dom and I; he’s like the brother I never had.”

She nodded and glanced around the room. “Is Dominic here?”

“I was wondering how long it would take before you asked about him.” Isabeau was quiet a moment. Her smile turned into a frown. “I believe he’s still in bed. Is that normal? The constant headache? He says he’s fine, but shouldn’t it have stopped by now?”

“A headache after a concussion can linger for weeks.” When her reassurance failed to remove the worried look from Isabeau’s face, Rebecca added, “I’ll take another look at him.”

“Thank you. If you go down that hall there, his is the last door on the right.”

She turned, started across the room.

“Hold on a sec,” Isabeau called. She disappeared into the kitchen, came out a minute later with a mug in her hand. “Take this to him?”

* * *

Rebecca stood just inside the door and stared. In the quiet, shadowed room, she breathed in a mix of cologne and warm male. Her pulse tripped, her mind blanked.

God Almighty.

Sprawled across the bed, one arm tucked behind his head, Dominic slumbered. He was on his back, naked but for the pale gray sheet riding so low it barely covered one leg and his genitals. She didn’t have to wonder what he looked like beneath that sheet. She knew.

Long and thick.

Beautiful.

Without her permission, her eyes took themselves on a tour. Time had been good to him. Damn good. He still had the incredible physique of a man who stayed in shape. He was thin but not scrawny. Olive skin covered hard muscle—a lot of muscle, just not the bulky kind. His chest had just the right amount of hair dusting his pecs. Hair that tapered to a thin line that bisected a flat, ridged stomach and disappeared beneath the sheet.

She inhaled a deep breath then let it out on a quiet sigh. Just looking at him made her desperate to touch him. Her fingers curled inward against the need to follow through on that desire.

The long body stirred and so did something deep inside her. He made a sleepy, gravelly sound as he stretched. His muscles flexed and rippled. Her gaze dropped. Past those lickable abs…