Relentless Rhythm (Tempest #4) (17 page)

Serious total swoon.

But I wondered how he’d gotten into my locker, and why he’d bothered

I thought I had made it pretty clear the way things were in the hallway at my mom’s house. But apparently he hadn’t gotten the message. I would have to clarify the next time I saw him, but for now I was really way behind. I shoved the note into my pocket, snagged a freshly laundered bar apron off the shelf, and hurried into the club. I had a lot of prep work and a busy night ahead.

By the time I got the open tabs transferred, the place was hopping, the music pumping, and customers were lined up in front of me. I completed at least twenty orders before I finally had a moment to catch my breath. I was scraping some lime slices into the condiment holder when I heard his velvety voice.

I suppressed a shiver.

But since my whole body was attuned to him, and because I obviously had no willpower where he was concerned, I lifted my head. I found him standing near my end of the bar, his ever present black leather jacket, chocolate and cream locks artfully styled, brandy hued eyes sparkling. King and Sager were with him, and so was a throng of women showing tons of skin in revealing tops and short skirts. They were obviously in the mood for a little back room rock star quickie, and I wondered how long it’d take before Dizzy took one of them up on the offer.

Shit.
The thought made my chest incredibly tight. I wasn’t in the mood to watch him score chicks. His concern was sweet. He certainly seemed caring, but I’d let myself forget the type of guy he really was. I reached under the bar, took a long sip of my water and told myself to get a grip. I had no right to feel proprietary with him, no matter how many flowers or notes he gave me.

I purposefully ignored him and focused on my work, filling orders as quickly as they came in, scooping ice into tumblers and hustling back and forth between the blender, the barware, and the service well until I saw him approaching. I froze.

“Hey,” Dizzy said in his decadent voice, his eyes traveling the length of me carefully as if searching for clues. There weren’t any new bruises to hide.
Thank God
. James had been working at the club later than usual.

Dizzy leaned in, placing his hands on the bar beside mine. I looked at the handsome face so close to my own and into those sparkling amber eyes and was completely lost for a long moment. He took advantage and came closer, his cheek nearly touching mine.

I inhaled deeply filling my lungs with his unique scent; remembering how it felt to be in his arms and wishing we’d completed that almost kiss in the storage room.

“Can I get three Molsons?” he murmured the request near my ear, his voice low and deep like a secret caress.

“Oh, yeah, sure.” I replied, but didn’t move, enjoying the moment, fantasizing that if I turned my face just a little, I would be able to scrape my cheek against his, maybe even touch the scruffy surface with the tip of my tongue. A sigh of longing fell from lips that sadly belonged to me, awakening me from the improbable spell I’d been conjuring. Reluctantly, I eased away from him tossing my ponytail over my back and turning around to grab the mugs for the beer. “Coming right up.”

“Truer words were never spoken.” He chuckled.

When I spun back around, his gaze popped up and his lips slowly curled. “Nice jeans,” His studded brow rose as if challenging me to call him out for having been caught staring at my ass. I didn’t bother, the direction of my thoughts had been much the same, and besides my mouth was too dry to form a retort. The seductive glitter in his golden eyes had stolen my breath and ignited a fire in my blood. I totally overfilled one of the mugs, unnerved by his focused flirting.

“I wanna run a tab.” He slid his credit card across the counter. “I plan to be here a while. Can’t seem to stay away… for some reason.” He stared at me meaningfully before angling his head toward the Crown Royale bottle I’d filled with water and used as a vase for his flower.

I turned pink as the peony under his perusal, blushing uncontrollably.

“Sure smells good around here,” he said to emphasize his point as he picked up the beers.

I didn’t reply. That I’d kept the flower said more than any denial I could voice.

Balancing the three brimming mugs as he moved, I stood mesmerized as he picked his way through the crowd. His confident manner, his take no prisoners stride, his broad shoulders, his firm ass…what a perfect male spectacle.

“Hey, can I get those tequila shots I asked for ten minutes ago?” A guy with an impatient expression interrupted my musings waving a twenty under my nose.

“Sure thing. Coming right up.” I replaced my faraway expression with a professional smile and refocused on the job that I loved, though I did manage to find time for a few quick peeks toward the Tempest table.

The next night featured more of the same, only this time it was a purple rose in my locker. Tonight the note read, “You have enchanted me.” Just as he had the night before, he gave me a lengthy scan. But then he touched me as he passed me his credit card. Just a simple brush of his roughened finger tips over mine. But that, combined with the mint and spice of his cologne was all it took to make my knees weak.

The third night, I began to notice other things besides the pattern. Like the fact that though the women came around his table as usual, he didn’t pay attention to them, nor did I ever see him move to the back with one of them. I couldn’t help it. I let myself fantasize that it was because of me, and I found myself hurrying to work, heart beating faster and faster the closer I got. I was eager to see him and discover what new gift would be in my locker. Even when I’d been dating James, he’d never written me notes or given me flowers. It hadn’t been his thing I guess. I hadn’t realized how much it was mine until Dizzy started doing it.

Tonight there was an entire bouquet of lavender, but no note. In its place were tickets to the benefit concert in which Tempest would be performing. I inhaled the sweet fragrance of the blooms and wished I could attend. I relished the thought of seeing Dizzy and Tempest in action. But I knew I shouldn’t even be considering it. It was this coming Friday, and Friday’s were the busiest night at the bar. Plus I couldn’t risk lying to James again. I’d have to ask him, and I knew what his answer would be, no matter what kind of spin I put on it.

Besides Dizzy’s seduction routine, as flattering as it was, needed to come to an end. It was dangerous. I was deep in my worried thoughts, carefully arranging my growing cache of flowers when Mel came over and climbed into an open seat at the bar.

“Hey, Sweetie,” I smiled at her. We’d talked earlier on the phone, but I’d forgotten it was Ebb Tide’s night on stage. I’d been more than a little distracted lately. “What’s up?”

“I made the NorAm circuit,” she announced with less enthusiasm than I would’ve thought the news warranted. “I’ve been waiting to tell you in person.”

“That’s fantastic.” I reached across the bar and squeezed her hand. “Congratulations, but you don’t seem all that happy about it.”

She frowned, an out of place crease forming between her brows. “Yeah ‘cause I haven’t told my dad yet,” she mumbled.

Ah, well that explained it. “Sooner probably would be better,” I offered scooting back in front of her after placing a receipt under the glass of a man who seemed ready to leave without paying.

“I know,” she sighed. “I plan to. After we play tonight.” She swiveled around on her seat, scanning the club. When she turned back around, she asked, “Have you seen Dizzy lately?”

My heart tripped over a guilty beat. I hadn’t told her about what was going on with Dizzy, about him coming out to the house, or about the notes and flowers. To me it was all tangled up together with the secret he knew, something I’d never shared with her. Couldn’t share with her. But I still felt like a bad friend for not doing so. “I’ve seen him around a time or two,” I replied purposefully vague. “How about you?”

“Just in passing at Black Cat.” She picked up a bar napkin, folding and refolding it. “I called and invited him tonight,” she finally admitted, peering at me through her heavily mascaraed lashes. “I told him I was singing, and he said he’d come.” She sighed. “April, I’m tired of waiting for him to make a move. I’m going to ask him out after.”

It was my turn to frown when I realized he hadn’t yet taken the time to set her straight.

“There he is.” She glanced over at the entrance then back at me straightening her shoulders. “How’s my lipstick?”

“It’s good, Sweetie. You look beautiful. Same as always.”

“Wish me luck.” She knocked on the bar twice with her tatted knuckles. “With my dad and Dizzy.”

I nodded, in my heart wishing her just one of the two.

The Mine was overrun by hordes of people when I arrived. A line snaked out the door. Ebb Tide had more than a decent local following. I navigated my way through them on my way to the bar.

April had her head down, her ponytail hanging forward over her shoulder and her bottom lip between her teeth. She didn’t see me approach, and I was free to take a longer look than usual. No apparent injuries. She didn’t even have a scarf on tonight, and her arms, completely bared by the tank she wore, were free of bruises. But relief wasn’t the only emotion I felt each night. It was just the first of dozens more that followed, including a ton of unfamiliar ones. Plus there was always that invisible connection between us. It stretched uncomfortable tight each night when I had to leave and let her go back to him.

“Hey.” April jumped a little in response to my greeting, but she gave me a soft reluctant smile when she saw me.

“Surprised?” I grinned, stepping up to her bar. It was completely deserted. Everyone had their eyes on the show. I could hear Mel on the stage behind me, her voice sounding brilliant as she fashioned the lyrics on one of Ebb Tide’s original tunes.

“That wouldn’t be the word I’d use,” she replied.

“Oh, yeah? I can suggest some better ones. Irresistible. Enticing. Captivating. Any of those work?” I teased. Being near her made my heart suddenly feel light and so did noticing that she’d added tonight’s flowers to her makeshift vase. She hadn’t thrown any away. I wondered if she’d kept the notes, too.

“Nope those aren’t right either,” she mused placing a lime wedge on the rim of a salt encrusted tumbler. She set the drink on a tray before turning back to me, her hand going to her cocked hip, assessing me. “Do I have to choose just one?”

I shook my head.

“Ok. Then how about these…ill advised, needs to stop… and have that talk with Mel already, too.”

I lifted a brow. “Those are phrases and sentences, not words.” I leaned forward, reaching out and tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear before she had a chance to stop me. It seemed like forever since I’d touched her, and I’d wanted to see if her hair was as silky soft as it looked. It was, and the skin I’d skimmed with the pad of my thumb had been even softer.

“No more, Dizzy.” She jumped back breathing heavily, her eyes flashing fire. “You can’t do shit like that. I don’t know what game you think we’re playing, but it has to end. Tonight, ok? It’s over tonight. No more flowers. No more notes. It’s finished. Done.”

“What’s done?” a deep gravelly male voice questioned.

“James.” April’s eyes flew wide. She took a step back, the flicker of fear on her pretty face, the same one I’d seen that day I’d ambushed her in the rain.

I swiveled around anxious to see this asshole for myself. I nearly swallowed my tongue. I knew him. Well, I’d seen him before. The night I’d seen April for the first time. At PTU. He was the guy the bitch I’d fucked that night had wanted to make jealous. She’d accomplished her objective. There’d been a hell of a scene between the two of them. Not something quickly forgotten. Additional realization suddenly dawned. So the piece of shit was stepping out on April in addition to all the rest. The missing pieces were coming together, and the picture they were forming was twisted.

James stared at me for a beat, his expression sharp enough to cut diamonds, his eyes widening slightly in recognition before narrowing again. His face set in a frown as he turned back to his wife. “This guy bothering you?”