Savor (13 page)

by Dray and the girl with long black hair who applied their makeup at the studio. My

eyebrows rose. Apparently, Vicious carted around their own makeup artist.

Wait. My brain readjusted itself as my gaze returned to the empty seat to Luka’s left. Were

they expecting me to sit there? I scanned the rest of the table. No other place settings

anywhere. An imaginary magnetic field kept me from moving where I stood.

“Are you just going to stand there all night?”

Yana’s question drew everyone’s attention at the table to me. The butler and maids serving

dinner politely kept their focus on their task. I refused to squirm at the scrutiny. Yet none of them stared at my patch. I kept my hand to my side, trying not to draw attention to it just in case. Luka rested his cheek on his fist, a half-grin tugging at his lips. Yana’s eyebrow rose, waiting for an answer to her question. Demitri and Dray, almost carbon copies of each other

only with different hair styles and piercings, kept their expressions passive. Phoenix smiled

softly while the girl with long hair raked her gaze over my body. I threw her a cutting glance before softening my gaze at Yana.

“I think I’m a little underdressed for this dinner.” I cursed myself for stating the obvious.

Try sounding smart when six pairs of eyes from the popular crowd were staring at you. I felt

like the awkward kid transported back to high school. “Maybe I’ll just take my dinner in my

room.”

Yana waved away my words. “Don’t be ridiculous. Although we like to dress for dinner, it

isn’t mandatory. Come, sit.” She pointed at the empty chair beside Luka.

I couldn’t move. My knees shook too badly. Luka crumpled his napkin and dumped it on

the table. Then he got up and came to my side. His fingers found their way around my wrist

again.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered into my ear then tugged me to the table.

Yeah right. A little too late for that. Luka may seem like he didn’t dress of this dinner, but compared to what he wore I might as well be a hobo they found off the street. I really should

have thought about bringing something more formal. So much for working in the

background. Yet another lesson learned for the naïve photographer who dreamed of traveling

the world.

Luka waved off the butler and pulled out my chair for me. And like he’d done it thousands

of times before, he pushed the chair in as I was sitting down. The second my butt hit the

cushion, I found myself at a perfect distance from the table. I didn’t even need to adjust my

seat forward. Was there anything Luka wasn’t good at?

“It’s nice that we could have you for dinner,” Dray said softly, leaning toward me like we

were sharing a secret.

My breath hitched. I didn’t exactly know how to take his words. Surely he was messing

with me because of the poorly concealed mischief in his eyes.

“Don’t tease our guest, Dray,” Demitri admonished. “I think formal introductions are in

order before we begin.” Ignoring the maids scurrying about with plates of food, the lead

guitarist of the band plowed on. “Luka, you’ve already met. Are you up to date with your

shots? He’s been known to bite.”

I didn’t want to but I blushed anyway at Demitri’s words. Luka picked up his wine glass

and winked at me over the rim just as he took a sip. I chuckled. How could I not?

“Stop making her uncomfortable!” Yana smacked Demitri’s wrist like he didn’t have at

least a hundred pounds on her. “She’ll think we’re a bunch of savages.”

“We could only hope that’s the least she’ll think of us,” Dray said. He took my hand and

patted it. “I hope you’re as strong mentally as you are physically.”

Okay, now what could he have meant by
that
? I took my hand back. Everyone at the table chuckled. Were they really messing with me? I didn’t know what to believe.

“Dray is our resident weirdo,” Yana teased and Dray nodded with a smile. “Don’t mind

him. To his right is Calixta. She helps with makeup and wardrobe along with being my

personal assistant on days when the band is in the studio.”

The long-haired girl finally had a name. She sniffed at the introduction and said, “You

really should come and see me. We always get free clothing for the band to wear. We need to

do something about your look.”

A tiny growl rumbled in my chest at her words. Did I mention I didn’t like her?

“That’s a great idea, Cal,” Phoenix beamed when she looked at me. “I’m Phoenix McKay, by

the way. If you don’t find anything in the free closet, come see me. I think we’re almost the

same size. I have stuff in my closet that still have the tags on.”

“I don’t mean to be rude,” I began, “but if you don’t mind me wearing jeans and a shirt to

dinner, I don’t think I’ll need to raid anyone’s closet.”

“Just think about it,” Phoenix insisted.

“Okay,” Yana clapped once, “now that we have introductions out of the way, you all know

that Dakota is here because she will be taking pictures of the band for her final project and

will be living with us during this time. Please make sure to accommodate her when possible.”

Calixta said something under her breath that I didn’t catch, but from the sound of it I

wouldn’t have liked hearing it anyway. I rolled my eye to the angel frescos on the ceiling and prayed for strength. So long as she didn’t get in my way, she could mutter all she wanted.

“Yana showed us the pictures you took during our performance at Sacrifice.” Demitri

nodded toward a maid who placed a dinner roll on his plate. “I can definitely see the talent

there.”

Based on his intense gaze, I couldn’t be sure if he complimented or insulted me.

As if reading my thoughts, Phoenix said, “Excuse Demitri’s tone. He was complimenting

you.” For the first time since I’d seen them together, she touched his arm affectionately. My

heart melted when Demitri glanced down at her. I could only wish I’d find someone one day

who looked at me with such adoration.

My gaze flicked toward Luka. Oh, he was looking my way alright, but not with adoration.

The hunger in his eyes unsettled me. If he didn’t stop, I would slide off my chair before this dinner was over.

“I think it’s time we start dinner before the food gets cold,” Luka said. I hoped the rest of

the table didn’t catch his suggestive tone. If they did, no one let on. Though, Calixta seemed to be stabbing something on her plate with a fork. I didn’t bother looking her way.

I jumped in my seat when Luka’s knee touched mine. I should have moved away, but I

couldn’t without drawing attention.

“I’m sorry?” I turned toward Dray as a maid placed a bowl of creamy soup on top of my

plate.

“Lobster bisque,” he said. “Yum!”

“What were you asking me again?” I clarified, taking up my own soup spoon. There were

so many pieces of cutlery on the table I figured I’d copy which ever Dray picked up so I didn’t look the fool.

“Oh, yeah.” He slurped his soup. “What are your plans for the pictures?”

I shrugged. “I really don’t know yet. I figured I’ll take things a day at a time.”

“I like doing the same thing with my experiments.”

“Experiments?” My forehead crumpled.

“Dray’s our resident mad scientist.” Luka grinned, clear affection for his cousin in his tone.

“When he’s not pounding sick beats on the skins, he’s in his lab.”

“Like Dexter,” Dray added.

I could only hope he’d meant the boy scientist and not the serial killer.

A few minutes passed where everyone ate in silence. I hardly tasted the soup, my stomach

still tumbling over the fact that I actually ate dinner with Vicious. Many would pay through

the roof for a chance to sit at this table right now. A part of me reveled in it. A larger part still thought all of this might be some surreal dream and soon I’d wake up. When the third course

was set in front of us—a poached salmon with mousseline sauce, the butler announced—Yana

brought me back to reality.

“Poison debuted number five on the iTunes charts today.”

“Pretty good, if you ask me.” Dray shrugged, taking a big bite of the salmon.

“What about Billboard?” Demitri leaned back in his seat.

“We find out next week,” Yana said, not taking her eyes off the plate. “I believe the

audience has been waiting for this change of pace in the music. They seem to be responding

well to Luka’s vocals.”

“It’s really his song,” Phoenix added, but the cheer in her voice sounded fake to my ears,

like she was trying too hard. “I think it’s good that we’re taking this break to focus on the new album.”

“Dakota has the perfect image for the cover,” Luka finally spoke up.

For the second time that night, all eyes were on me. It never got any easier. All the

expectant attention made my skin crawl.

“I’m still working on the stuff I took today. I’ll send you everything by tomorrow

morning,” I told Yana.

She nodded. “You should send me your account details so we can wire appropriate

payment for the promotional pictures.”

My eyebrows shot up. Didn’t they already know my account details? I would have thought

the homeland security style background check would have covered that info. Maybe Yana was

just being polite in letting me think I still had a couple of things under my control.

“I’ll send you the deets along with the photos,” I said, pushing chunks of salmon around

on my plate.

“You do that.” Yana pushed her plate forward and a maid immediately took it away.

Through two more courses, the band continued to openly talk business. I figured their

comfort came from the knowledge that everyone there had signed a Non-disclosure

Agreement. Whatever they discussed wasn’t making it out of that house without serious

repercussions.

Yana mentioned something about an industry Christmas party the band needed to attend

and Luka cursed.

“You promised we wouldn’t have to work during this break, Yana.” He lifted his fourth

glass of wine. Not that I was counting or anything.

“You’re not performing,” she clarified. “But we need to make an appearance. Many voters

will be there.”

Luka slammed the wine glass so hard on the table, the deep red liquid sloshed onto the

white tablecloth. I was surprised the glass didn’t break. “I don’t give a fuck about the

Grammys or any other award giving body.”

All the women at that table flinched at Luka’s outburst. Dray remained impassive while

Demitri stared daggers at him. I had absolutely no idea where this was coming from;

although, Luka’s words about getting into music to deal with his anger made some sense

now. The guy had a temper.

“It’s still weeks away,” Phoenix interjected. “You don’t have to think about it now.”

This seemed to pacify Luka. He resorted to sulking in his seat, ignoring the dessert of

peaches in chartreuse jelly. I was too full to even attempt dessert. Good luck getting any work out of me tonight. I wilted into my seat, already lazy.

The last item on the agenda for Yana seemed to be the annual New Year’s Eve party. Since

the band wouldn’t be performing at the ball drop, the party would be held at Lunar Manor.

“
That
you need a dress for,” Phoenix told me.

How’d we get back to the topic of what I was to wear? “I thought I would be working in the

background? Plus, wouldn’t that be my last day? Surely you wouldn’t mind me skipping the

party.”

Yana shook her head. “You have to be there. I will not have it any other way.”

Distinctly hearing the period at the end of her sentence, I kept my mouth shut. Any

argument would just be shot down. Like Phoenix said to Luka, I didn’t have to worry about

the party. It was weeks away.

I had other things on my mind…like the hand slowly making its way up my thigh.

Chapter Thirteen

Frustration

Luka shifted in his seat, seeming to face Yana as she described the party planning already

underway for New Year’s Eve. Unbeknownst to the rest of the table, his hand wandered,

hidden beneath the tablecloth. Unfortunately, if someone looked hard enough he or she

would figure out what was really happening. My heartbeat kicked up a notch at his touch. The

heavy lunch paired with an even heavier dinner muddled my thoughts. A slow burn traversed

my neck to my face. I must have turned several shades of pink, my cheeks felt so warm. I

closed my hands to keep from fanning myself. Then I bit the inside of my cheek to clear some

of the fog.

A part of me felt trapped. I had little room to move away from Luka’s touch unless I

actually stood up. How hot Luka’s hand felt against my thigh under the table dominated all

my attention. And I didn’t mean temperature wise. He traveled in excruciating slowness,

starting at my knee and moving an inch or two then he’d stop and squeeze. This caused me to

yelp, which I disguised by clearing my throat or taking a sip of wine. He used his thumb to

draw soothing circles against my leg.

Images of this afternoon in the SUV didn’t help either. This harassment had to stop. I

couldn’t take thirty days of avoiding Luka’s advances. My body responding to his attentions

made abstaining doubly difficult.

I had to make an executive decision. Luka was a famous rock star. Surely he was used to

women flinging themselves at him. I pegged him for the one-night-stand type. If I gave him

access for one night then he’d lose interest and I could move on with my project without this

continued harassment. It didn’t hurt that I hadn’t been with anyone for almost a year. I