Play Me (Love on Tour #2) (5 page)

“Wait, that’s the part that makes sense?” I asked.

Bell ignored me. “Why would you make that bet?” She asked me.

I shrugged. Sean chuckled. Baby was trying not to grin.

Having given up on getting an answer to that question, Bell asked another one. “Is two months really so hard?”

I looked at her. “You’re kidding, right?”

Her mouth fell open. Then she blurted out. “Two months! Jesus, I’ve gone years…”

“Mike, what are you working on over there?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

“A case study paper for a class I’m taking on how to handle scandals. We’re working on sex scandals.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“Please, please tell me your paper isn’t about any of us,” Baby said.

Mike looked back down at his computer, pressing his lips together.

“Shit, it is,” I said.

“Not a real scandal, but a rumor that’s been in the papers. One I’ve had to deal with lately because Christie is incompetent.”

“Mike…” Baby groaned.

“Don’t worry I changed all the names.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter, does it? Because everyone in the whole world knows that you hang out with us.” Baby argued.

“Hang out?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, or whatever you wanna call it.”

“I work for you,” he said.

“No, you work for Sean. You hang out with me.”

“Baby, if I work for Sean, then I work for you,” Mike pointed out.

“No way,” Baby shook her head. “I could never afford you.”

“Oh for the love… Baby,” Sean said, putting a finger under her chin, and turning her head toward him. “How many times do I have to tell you that what’s mine is yours?”

“I have a hard time with that,” Baby said.

“I get it,” Bell said.

“I don’t,” Sean said.

“You are so rich, and I’m so… not.”

“I am rich. I’m rich because I have you.”

“For fuck’s sake,” I said. “This is getting ridiculous. Quit with the kissy face and let’s play cards.”

5

I was flirting hard with Baby’s hot friend Melanie. She was really something. I’d kind of forgotten that Denver was going to hold this particular temptation.

“So, I, um, broke up with that creep Kenny,” she whispered, her lips just inches from mine.

Damn. I was in trouble. At the wedding, she’d shown up with this douchebag on her arm, and despite the fact that I came within two bases that night of getting laid in a broom closet, she stopped me and left with him.

Now here we were, she was single, and hot as ever. And I was fucking celibate.

“It’s good to see you again, Mel,” I said, pulling away from her. I looked at my phone as if I was looking for the time. “Shit, I gotta go though.”

“Why?”

“I promised one of my guys I’d go over a riff with him.” I stood up, leaving her alone on the loveseat. “I’ll see you after the show, ok?”

“Ok,” she pouted.

I walked through the crowded room. Baby had a bunch of friends that worked at Rocky Mountain National Park, so we were hosting a couple dozen people in a back room at the venue before the concert.

I walked past Sean and Baby. They were deep in a conversation with her ex-boyfriend – not the asshole, but a pretty cool guy named Kevin. I passed Mike, who was clearly being propositioned by some clueless woman in a Duran Duran shirt. When I hit the doorway I nearly ran into Bell. Scratch that, I nearly ran
over
Bell.

“Where are you going?”

“Dani wanted to show off her wedding pictures. So I’m going to retrieve her iPad from Sean’s green room.”

I slowed my pace so that I kept time with her shorter legs as we walked down the hall.

“You having fun, Bell?”

She looked up at me with that adorable grin. “Hell yes!”

I smiled at her. She was so fucking cute.

My green room was right next to Sean’s. I stood at my door and watched her go in first. She was barely in the room when I heard her yell, “What the hell!”

I moved fast. I was beside her, just inside the door of Sean’s room, in a matter of seconds.

“Uh, hi. Where’s Sean?”

The chick was in skimpy lingerie, red and black. She was hot too – size D at least, flat tummy, never-ending legs. Her face was a little sharp, but otherwise, she was an all-around looker. She was perched on the vanity in front of the mirror. Even though I wished I didn’t, I happened to know that it was one of Sean and Baby’s favorite places to have sex. I had to get rid of her, fast.

“Hi darling,” I cooed, walking toward her.

“Hank Tolk!” Her eyes got wide.

“What are you doin’ in here? Why aren’t you in my room, sweetheart?”

“I, um…”

“You know I’m the available one, right?”

She blushed. “I know. I just wanted Sean because…”

I walked closer to her, grabbing her shirt and jeans off the coffee table on my way.

“Because he’s taken?”

She nodded. I fought back the bile.

“So, you’re not interested in me?” I stopped right in front of her. Her clothes were fisted in my right hand. With my left, I took one finger and slid it up her thigh.

She sucked in a deep breath. “Um, no, um, I’m definitely interested.”

“There’s a reason Sean’s married, sweetheart. He’s boring.” I moved my finger higher. “What’s your name?”

“Kim,” she breathed.

“Kim, listen, that girl over there works for Sean. She’ll be sure to tell him you were here. In the meantime, why don’t you come to my room? Sean can come looking for you there.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, you don’t want to be here,” I said handing her the t-shirt.

She put it on. “No?”

“You don’t actually want to run into the wife, do you?”

She hopped down off the vanity and took the jeans. “No, I don’t.”

Kim kept looking up at me as she put her jeans on and slipped into her shoes. I knew she wanted me now. Whatever her plan was before didn’t matter. The fact that we were giving it lip service was just a game. This chick would go back to my room and give herself to me. She wouldn’t give a second thought to seducing Sean.

When she was dressed, I put a hand on her waist and turned us both toward the door. Bell was still standing in the doorway, completely still, eyes as big as saucers. I walked Kim over there, watching Bell the whole time. She looked me in the eyes. I saw confusion, but also awe.

“Bell, why don’t you go tell Sean about his guest. Be stealthy about it, yeah?”

Her eyebrows scrunched up.

I pulled Kim past Bell and out the door. We started walking down the hall. Over the click of Kim’s heels on the concrete floor I could hear the padding of Bell’s running shoes behind her.

I walked right past my room and kept going toward the back entrance. Before Kim knew what was happening I’d pulled up in front of Lance. The tour manager stared at me with wide eyes.

“Look what I found in Sean’s room.” I gestured to a security guy down the hall. He moved quickly toward us.

“Oh shit,” Lance said. “Uh, crap.”

I handed Kim over to the security guy. She made some noise while he dragged her off. Once the doors were closed on her protests, I spoke again. “You have a security problem, Lance. Take care of it.”

“Yeah, I will, Hank. I will.”

I was pissed, and I wasn’t done with him yet. I moved closer, he flinched. “What if Baby had walked in there?”

He was sweating. “I’m sorry. I’m gonna take care of it.”

I turned away from him. Bell was standing a few feet away, watching the whole thing. I moved to where she was and put my hand on her waist. I turned her and moved her back toward the room.

“Let’s get the iPad and make sure she didn’t leave anything in there.”

“Okay,” she said softly.

I ushered her back into Sean’s room and we split up. Bell walked over to Baby’s bag and started rummaging through it. I walked around the room. I found a handful of condoms on the vanity that I knew didn’t belong to Sean. I scooped them up and stuck them in my back pocket.

“I don’t get it,” Bell said.

I turned around to see her looking at me, the iPad dangling from one hand.

“What?”

“You could have had that girl. And from your own mouth, you’re a slut. I mean. I watched… I mean Hank, you could have had her, after like thirty seconds.”

I stared at her.

She cocked her head to the side. “The bet?”

“Sure,” I walked back toward her. “I don’t want to give up my car.”

She looked skeptical. “I bet you would give Dani that car if she just asked for it.”

“Don’t over think it,” I said, throwing an arm over her shoulder and moving us back toward the door.

She stopped and looked up at me. “What was that all about, her wanting Sean because he’s married? I don’t get it.”

I sighed. “Yeah, it’s a problem. He had enough of this shit when he and Baby were dating, but it’s gotten worse since he got married.”

“That makes no sense.”

“It’s a challenge. Everybody on the fucking planet knows that Sean is crazy about his wife. It’s in newspaper articles, online, all that crap. So if a girl can get Sean to cheat on his wife than it means she’s the queen shit.”

“That’s fucked up.”

“Yep.”

****

“How’s it going?”

“Good. It’s good.”

“C’mon Hank, talk to me. I know it’s hardest for you on tour.”

I took a deep breath. “The not drinking part isn’t bad.”

The dickhead actually laughed. “Still celibate?”

“Yes, asshole, I’m still celibate.”

“You know, I’ve been talking to one of my colleagues who specializes in sex addiction.”

This is what I got for having a sponsor who happened to be shrink. “I told you Tim, I’m not a sex addict.”

“Whatever, addict or not, it sounds like celibacy really is a good way to handle… this kind of thing.”

“I can’t believe I told you.”

“Whatever, I think it’s more important than you think it is. Having sex is an outlet for you, Hank. You are taking that away which could increase your desire to turn to another outlet.”

“I’m not drinking. I’m not thinking about drinking. I’m fine.” I insisted.

“Okay, brother. Just know I got your back.”

“I know Tim. I appreciate it.”

There was a knock on my door.

“Hey, Tim, I gotta go.”

“Is it a girl?”

“Probably. Talk to you in a few days.”

“Later, Hank.”

I threw the phone onto the bedside table and walked to the door, passing the small living area and kitchenette of the king suite. There was a second knock. For fuck’s sake, who was being so damn impatient?

“Hi.”

She looked like an oompa loompa, tiny and cute, with crazy hair, all mused up, like she’d been running her fingers through it for hours.

I swung the door wide and motioned for her to come in. “What’s up, Bell?”

She walked in a few steps and whirled around to face me as I shut the door.

“I want…” she hesitated.

“You want?”

She took a step closer to me. I watched her carefully. Other than the mussed hair, she looked all right, no puffy eyes or smeared make-up.

“I want,” she reached her hand out and put it on my forearm, “you.”

6

I stepped back. Her hand slipped off my arm as I moved out of reach.

“What?”

She ran her hand through her hair. “I want to sleep with you.”

“Wait. Why?”

She pulled her t-shirt over her head, revealing a lacy bra. “Don’t question it,” she said breathlessly.

Damn.

She moved toward me again. I was in deep shit.

“Bell, maybe we need to slow down and talk about this.”

“I don’t want to slow down.” She was right up next to me now and I was up against the wall, trapped. She looked up at me, pressing her breasts against my stomach. “I want you to seduce me, quickly and thoroughly, like you did with that girl today.”

“If you recall, I had that girl escorted out by security.”

She put her hands on my chest. “I won’t tell anyone, Hank,” she whispered. “You can have me and still win the bet.”

“I may be a slut, but I’m not a cheat,” I said defensively.

She ignored this and put her soft little mouth on my stomach.

I moved fast. I pulled her hands away and slipped out of her reach.

She blinked up at me. “You don’t want me?”

“Believe me Bell, I am not the right guy for you.”

“You’re perfect. You’re a player. And I want to get played.”

“What? Why?”

She shrugged, looking vulnerable. I picked her t-shirt up off the floor and motioned for her to hold up her arms. She obeyed and I slipped it over her head.

“Bell, where is this coming from?”

She let out a deep breath and plunked down on the couch. “I… I need it.” She hung her head in her hands.

I sat down next to her on the couch. “What are you talking about?”

She looked up at me. “I have a problem, Hank. A sex problem.”

I leaned deep into the couch, put one arm over the back, behind her head, and looked at her. “What kind of problem?”

“I’ve only ever had boring sex.”

“What?”

“I know, I know. You’ve probably never had boring sex in your whole life. But I have. I have for the last ten years.”

I was shocked from doing the math. “You didn’t have sex until you were 20?”

“Focus Hank. I have had exactly three lovers… boyfriends.”

“Wow.”

“And each one I thought I was going to marry. See that’s my problem. I see men as potential husbands. I’ve never dated someone I didn’t hope to marry. Even the guy that was already married, I thought he would leave his wife and marry me. God, I’m an idiot.”

She put her head in her hands again. I rubbed the back of her neck. “I don’t think that’s uncommon, Bell.”

She looked up at me. “Yeah? Maybe not. But it’s stupid.”

I laughed. “I think that’s a matter of opinion. Maybe your thoughts on sex and relationships were shaped by your upbringing?” I suggested.

“Oh they were,” she agreed. “In the cult you start dating at 16. And every girl dates every guy of the same age for a month. No hanky-panky, just good clean dates, movies and stuff. Anyway, then when you turn 18, Sy picks out which one is the best for you and you marry them.”

“Weird.”

“Yeah, well, I grew up watching this little ritual happen all around me. And I was waiting for my turn to date and find my future husband. But then we left before it was my time.”

“And you were suddenly thrown into public high school.”

“God yes. It was awful. I had no idea what to do with boys. So I did nothing. I avoided them like the plague.”

“Surely they came onto you?” I would have.

She shrugged. “Sometimes, I guess. But I turned them all down. So then I ended up in college and I had zero boy experience.”

“And you met Baby.”

“Yeah, she and I were both pretty inexperienced. We met guys and encouraged each other, you know.”

“Please tell me you didn’t have a boyfriend like hers.”

“No. Definitely not. I met Mr. Boring, Todd Weeks. He was probably perfect for me at that point, I suppose. I was so damn shy around guys.”

“I think you’ve outgrown that.”

She looked at me. “Not really. That little move I pulled on you took every ounce of courage in my body.”

I moved my hand lower on her back and rubbed gentle circles. “So, Mr. Boring?” I encouraged her to continue the story.

“He was nice to me. We had slow, quiet, missionary sex.”

“Quiet?”

“Yeah, you could hear a pin drop.”

I repressed a chuckle.

“And he asked me to marry him. So, you know, he seemed perfect.” She frowned.

“But he wasn’t?”

“I didn’t love him. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t going to let that stop me from marrying him. But my friends sure as hell were. And then there was my parents. Fuck.”

I settled even deeper into the couch. “This story I have to hear.”

“They staged an intervention. It’s never been fully disclosed, but I suspect that Dani was the mastermind. Anyway, all my friends were there, and they even rounded up my parents. And it wasn’t working because, damn it, I wanted to get married. Then Todd showed up. And it worked on him. They talked
him
out of marrying
me
.”

“Did you ever forgive them?”

“Oh yeah, I knew they were right anyway. I just wanted to get married so goddamn bad.”

I laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“You sure have a potty mouth for a sheltered girl.”

“I learned it from my dad. He’s a plumber.”

“So you forgot all about that guy and boring dude number two showed up.”

“You really want to hear all this?” She sat back finally, and started to relax.

“Yeah, you want a drink?”

“Sure, I’ll get it.” She walked over to the mini-frig. “There’s nothing in here but soda and water.”

“Mike always has all the alcohol pulled out of my room. Sorry.”

She shrugged, grabbed two sodas and came back over to the couch. She handed me one and struggled to open hers. I grabbed it, opened it, and handed it back. I flipped the cap expertly into the wastebasket by the kitchenette.

“Boring dude number two,” I prompted.

“After graduation, first new job out of school. The guy worked in the cubicle next to me. I harbored a crush for a good year before I finally made a move.”

“Did you send him flowers?”

“Shut up, asshole. No, I sent him an instant message.”

“What?”

“Yeah, and he sent me one back. We started chatting all day while we were supposed to be working.”

“Jesus, even the way you met this guy is boring. What’s his name?”

“Hold onto your hat – Bob.”

“Good God. I’m practically asleep over here.”

“Anyway, we started dating. On the third date we had sex, just like the magazines say you’re supposed to. After six months he proposed.”

I yawned. She hit me on the chest.

“Did you love that guy?”

She shook her head. “I liked him a lot. Thought he’d make a good husband.”

“Why didn’t you marry him? Another intervention?”

“No. I chickened out.” She looked at her hands.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I started a new job about a month before we were supposed to get married. We both thought it would be better if we worked in different places. And there was this guy. He was so hot.”

“You had an affair?”

“No, of course not! But I wanted to and it made me realize that I should not be getting married.”

“So you dumped Bob?”

“Yeah. He took it well. Too well,” she said glumly. “He was married to the girl that replaced me at my desk three months later.”

“Then you hooked up with the hot guy at work?”

“No.”

“Why the hell not? Was he married?”

“No. He was way out of my league.”

I gaped at her. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

She stared up me. Her mouth was parted and her eyes were staring at my lips. Shit.

“What do you mean he was out of your league?” I demanded.

“I mean, he was super hot, and I knew I couldn’t get him. And I was too scared to even try.”

“That’s fucked up. You’re smoking hot Bell. You gotta own that shit.”

I didn’t realize the mistake I’d made until it was too late. She launched herself at me. She was on her knees on the couch cushion, her arms thrown around my neck, her lips pressed to mine.

I had two major problems at that moment. First, I didn’t want to hurt her fragile ego. And second, I was totally kissing her back. It was not an option, she was so soft and warm. Her little mouth was driving me crazy.

“Sweetheart,” I said softly, pulling her shoulders back gently. “Hang on a sec, okay.”

At the same time that I pulled her face away from mine, I picked up her hips and set her on my lap. I had to tread lightly here.

“I went for it,” she said. She was actually shaking.

“You sure did, sweetie. See, I knew you were brave. And passionate. Fuck this boring guy scene,” I said lightly.

She actually laughed a little. This was good.

“But you’re too hot for me. You’re gonna drive me crazy.”

“That’s the idea.”

I shook my head. “I told you before, I’m no good for you Bell.”

“But that’s just it, Henry. I want to do a little sexual therapy on myself. For the first time in my life I want to have a casual, hot, sexy fling with a guy I have no intention of marrying.”

“I’m not convinced that’s what you need. But even if it is, I’m still not the guy for you. I’m a terrible slut, and I can be charming as hell, but nothing ever lasts with me.”

“You’re perfect, Henry. I trust you, and I know it will never lead anywhere. That’s what I want.”

I was suddenly deeply wounded. I had no explanation for it, and I certainly didn’t have time to sort through it. I pushed that aside.

“I’m not. I think you should talk to Baby about this.” I shifted her gently off my lap and stood up.

She stayed seated and looked up at me. “I did.”

I took her hands and pulled her into a standing position. “And what did she say?”

“She supports my plan, as long as I’m safe. And…”

“And?”

“And she said that I should stay away from you at all costs.”

“I couldn’t agree with her more.”

Again, I was hurt. But I sure didn’t deserve to be.

“So who do you think I should go for?”

She looked up at me with those big brown eyes. I wanted to throw her in my closet and lock her away from every other guy. I also wanted to throw her in my bed and climb on top of her.

“I think a tour is a bad place to go looking for that kind of thing.”

She stuck her chin out. “I think you’re wrong. I think it’s the perfect place.” She walked to the door.

“What does Sean say?”

She stiffened and turned around, her hand on the doorknob. “Don’t say a word to him,” she warned. “He’ll have Mike following me around like the secret service. I’ll never get laid.”

She whirled around and walked out the door.

“
I’ll
have Mike follow you around,” I said to the closed door.