Crush (A Night Fire Novel Book 1) (6 page)

Chapter Six

When I woke the thumping music was gone. Frank however, he was still singing for us. It was morning and the soft strain of the morning light was poking through the edge of the long panel shades. I was wrapped up in the arms of one delicious man, both of us still extremely naked. Last night or rather, the early hours of this morning had been beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I hadn't been split in two as I feared but it was entirely possible that I would need to do Pilates or Yoga... something. Maybe a little more sexing from the rock god behind me might help.

I lifted the sheet to roll over, snuggling into his arms. His grip around me tightened as he kissed the top of my head.

“Busy day today.”

I guess this is the part where he tells me that he's got lots to do and he'll see me sometime. I've had my fun Frankie, I'll call you soon.

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing.” I lied.

“I felt your body tighten Frankie.”

I shrugged and enjoyed the last of his warm body, feeling robbed of it already.

“Might get the paper and search for a job.”

Curtis sighed a long, drawn out sigh.

“Take a day off, when was the last time you did nothing for the entire day?”

“Bus ride here.”

He lifted away from me, rolling me onto my back so that he could look down at me.

“Well today you're going to goof off and do nothing. You can hang out with me and the terrible foursome while we practice.”

“Uh, okay.”

He got out of the bed and walked through the arch to the next room, offering a daylight view of his body. Broad shoulders, firm skin stretched over his back that tapered down to one sexy as fuck ass. God damn, what good deed did I do to deserve a shit hot body like that? I looked to the ceiling and mouthed
thank you
.

“You'd better get that sweet ass out of bed today Frankie, if I'm late then I'll be in the shit.”

“Sure. Except that you totally made me sore. Bastard.”

The grin on his face as he came out of the room was of pure amusement. He had put on a pair of jeans, right about now I hated clothing.

“You weren't complaining, in fact I distinctly remember you saying,
fuck me harder Curtis
.”

I coyly shrugged and searched for my bag, finding it in the next room which was a rather elaborate walk in robe. No, it was another gigantic room that was only a third filled with his things. I dressed quickly, picking the skirt and top that he mentioned had caused him so much grief.

“You are going to be a distraction.” he grumbled as he pulled on a shirt.

Once I had my shoes on I was over his shoulder again, my protests ignored. We arrived to a lounge room of sleeping bodies, thankfully there were only four.

“Don't you know where the bedrooms are?” Curtis grumped as he set me to my feet. “Or better yet, your own damned homes.”

He stomped off across the room, muttering something that I could no longer hear. Austin the quiet one followed after him, still engrossed in his phone. Clearly it was an enthralling little object. Evan sat up, rubbing his eyes and thankfully ignoring me. Ah, the bliss of those few moments after waking up. Jaxon was far more alert, tipping his chin up at me.

“Morning princess.”

“Why do you call me that?”

Jaxon slid over the lounge and gestured for me to lean in to a whisper.

“Because that's what he called you.”

He patted his chest where his heart would be and fluttered his eyes.

“My princess for my castle.”

Jaxon stood and the mirth was gone, his darkness was just as worrying as Curtis's.

“Even said that one day she'd be queen.” he whispered hauntingly. “Said he bought this place with her in mind, worried that she wouldn't like it.”

My eyes darted to Evan who was watching with quiet interest, Fraser was snoring. It looked like he had face planted and then passed out. Jaxon's dark blue eyes stared at me, strands of his blonde hair falling into them.

“So princess, do you like your castle?”

“It's great.” I gulped hard. “Haven't seen much but the ceiling in his bedroom is pretty damned fine.”

A grin curled into his lips as his head tipped back slightly, his eyes still pinned to me.

“Well alright then.” he said with a cheeky whisper.

I looked around the room when he turned away, it was a mess of alcohol bottles and plates of food spread from the room to the external areas that I could see. I'll bet if I took a walk I would find the same mess spread throughout many rooms. Was it so difficult to search for a bin?

“Any of you planning on cleaning this mess?”

“Nah, he'll get someone in to clean it up, s'cool.”

“Riiight.” I said as I narrowed my eyes at Evan.

Fraser snorted awake when a middle aged woman walked into the room, rattling a garbage bin full of bottles and cans.

“Morning Lola.”

Evan turned his head abruptly.

“Mom what are you doing cleaning up?”

“Someone's got to do it.” she offered.

I remember meeting Lola last night but Curtis did not say that she was Evan's mother. He got up and took the bin off her, making her sit on the lounge and then proceeded to fuss over her. The bad boy rocker has a soft spot for his mother, I pity the poor woman that comes between this mother and her son. She would have to be made of stern stuff. Evan was off, picking up the mess so that his mother wouldn't. She watched with a conspiratorial smile and it was then that I knew that she had just played him. Oh Lola, you are a wicked woman.

“You know Fraser honey, I'm feeling rather famished. Does Curtis have anything to eat?”

“Uh, I'll go check.”

“Don't forget about Frankie, darling.”

He nodded and in an instant he was off his chair and scampering through the far door. The smirk increased.

“Here, let me help you darling.”

“No mom, Jaxon get off your ass and help.”

He was obliging, following Evan around the room as they cleaned up. Lola grinned supremely and then looked at me, patting the seat beside her. I sat down beside her, she leaned in and whispered.

“You'll learn how to deal with them, it took me a few years but now I have them right where I want them.”

I chuckled and enjoyed the show that was Evan and Jaxon cleaning up.

After a monstrously delicious and filling breakfast cooked by Curtis and Fraser, we bid the lovely and devilishly fiendish Lola Cooper goodbye and set out for wherever it was they were going to be practicing today.

We had a few minutes of peace from the other guys, they were traveling in their own cars and I was grateful. They never stopped talking and everything was loud. Curtis thumped his fingers on the steering wheel as we sat at the lights, waiting for them to change. He wore a frown, deep in thought about something.

“So what are you rehearsing for? A gig or something?”

“Kinda.”

Well that certainly answered my question. I said nothing more and turned to the view out the side window, watching the happy people out there rather than the moody one in here.

The lights changed and he didn't move.

“Curtis, the lights.”

Someone behind tooted their horn.

“I didn't ruin your life, did I?”

“What? No. Move the car before the ass behind us gets out to complain.”

Curtis huffed again and moved through the lights, still not letting up on the sullen mood.

“I was angry for crying out loud. I had just lost my job, you brought me to the house and I had expectations of a quiet evening getting to know you. Not some crazy party where there's so much flesh on show it's almost like a bloody porn movie.”

We will skip the part where it could easily have been a porn movie, given there were a few cameras and a whole lot of sex going on.

“Granted it was harsh but I was angry. Things got better and I don't think that any more. I'll get another job and all will be good again.”

His eyes darted to me momentarily, returning to the road ahead.

“Don't need to be rushing on that one Frankie. Just chill for a couple of days.”

I said nothing, mostly because he seemed rather on edge. Like the subject was an odd one for him. Given the state of the footpath outside my apartment, I could understand his reluctance on my behalf. What employer is going to even grant me an interview when I've got women calling me every filthy name under the sun? None. Absolutely none.

But I didn't want to be dependent on his money, I didn't want any of his money. I still have to figure out a way to pay him back for the rent. A freaking year, god damn it. It could have been something attainable for me, a week or two I could eventually pay back but a year's worth was going to take me forever.

“There's a few things coming up.”

I turned back to him, looking at how tense he was. Jeez this guy was going to have an anxiety attack if he wasn't careful.

“It might be ideal if you could avoid getting work so that you can come with me, uh, you know if you want to.”

“Of course I would.” I smiled at him, his shoulders sagged slightly. “You need to relax.”

He nodded and turned into a car park, looking at the doors ahead of us.

“We'll be here for a few hours then we can hang out somewhere if you want.”

“Sure.”

The building ahead of us was two stories high, a dull gray brick with a few windows that looked boarded up. At the center was a set of red double doors, two men stood by them. They watched the surroundings, one nodded to the fence line. I looked over and saw another intimidating fellow, patrolling the fence line. Security was heavy.

Curtis held my hand as we walked into the building, nodding at the fellows as we passed them. It was a vast room that spanned the entire space. At the far wall a stage was being set up, in front of the stage was dozens of cameras. Jerry was off to one side, talking to another fellow. Fraser was sitting on the edge of the stage with his legs dangling off the edge, plucking away at his bass. His head bopped away as he played, I watched thoroughly fascinated as one of the camera guys filmed him.

Austin moved into the room with so much grace it was crazy. He stopped on the other side of Curtis, still quiet but at least there was no electronic device attached to his hand.

“Are you doing a video?”

“Kinda. It's been more of a
making of
type thing for the new album. They thought doing a video of a similar style might tie it in together nicely.”

“Cool.” I gushed, far too easily.

Jerry finished talking to the fellow and wandered over, brightly smiling at us. He seemed a happy kind of guy though being manager to these guys must have aged him a few years. Certainly explained the salt and pepper hair.

“Curtis, Frankie good to see you again.”

I think I liked Jerry, he certainly lit up a room. He had been in a suit last night but today it was a little more casual which seemed to be the wrong way around.

“You'll be up next and then they'll do the group shot. Just a few more minutes on Fraser.”

“Sure thing.”

“Frankie can hang out over by the mixing desk if she wants.” he smiled at me again. “Have you ever seen something like this before?”

I shook my head as I looked at the small gathering around a table of knobs and buttons.

“You should watch, they're going to record it for a bonus track. Come on over.”

He jutted his head and urged me to follow him. Curtis smiled at me when I looked back, which I just had to return.

“There you go.” Jerry sighed with too much enthusiasm.

I turned back and saw the stool to the side of the desk.

“I'm not going to be in the way, am I?”

One of the guys behind the desk looked at me and shook his head. Jerry was off finding another stool for himself. He planted himself right beside me and settled himself in for the show.

When Fraser was done Curtis climbed onto the stage and put on a pair of cans, waiting for the cameras to be ready. He had two of them, one for each side.

“They're going to feed the music to him through the headphones.” Jerry said as he leaned closer. “To him it will sound like he's playing with them. But really he's going solo.”

“Cool.”

I turned to look at the guys behind the desk again, one of them gave a signal and Curtis started thumping out a thunderous beat.

“Do you know your way around a drum kit?” Jerry whispered.

“Uh no.”

“The one at the front of him, that's the snare. A ripper little thing. Then you've got your ride and floor toms. Crash and ride cymbals and high hats. And that monster deep beat, that's the bass drum. He's got a double kick on that baby.”

I looked at the instrument it seemed rather complicated and what Jerry said made no sense whatsoever. Curtis played it like a maniac, where he got the energy to do this for hours I don't know. No wonder he was as fit as he was, it looked like he needed to be. I was enthralled watching him, his command over the instrument was hypnotic. Jaxon and Evan wandered over, waiting for Curtis to be done.