Groupie Love (A Rock Star Romance) (Love in Shades) (7 page)

She slips out the door, making her way back to the party on the beach.

Chapter 14

Mackenzie

I watch as my friends wheel their suitcases to the driveway where a taxi idles, waiting for them.

“I’m so gonna miss you, Mac,” Willow says as she wraps an arm around my neck.

“I’m gonna miss you, too,” I say trying not to cry. “At first, I was kind of pissed that you guys threw me off of my rhythm but now I’m really glad you surprised me.”

I wish that the girls didn’t have to leave yet. But Julia’s going back to Paris to reclaim her spot as corps dancer at the
Opéra National de Paris
. Willow’s got headed to her summer internship.

Julia gives me a tight squeeze before she slides into the taxi next to Willow. “CheekyChat me if you need anything, darling – books…advice…
an IUD
.”

“Julia!” Willow scolds, slapping her on the wrist.

But Julia carries on. “And, for the love of god – don’t go back to New York until you’ve thoroughly screwed that rock demon next door.”

I roll my eyes up to the sky. “Whatever, Julia,” I mutter.

“I’m serious,” she insists.

“Of course you are,” I say. The taxi driver flashes me a perverse grin while he loads the suitcases into the trunk.

“If that kiss he gave you on stage is any indication of what Everson is like in bed, I feel sorry for you, my friend, because you’ll be walking around with a limp and a head of disheveled hair, blubbering to yourself for days after he’s done with you.” She throws her head back and laughs as Willow pushes her in the shoulder trying to shut her up.

“Bye,” I say shooing them away with the flick of my hand.

The taxi driver gets the hint and soon the car rolls towards the street. Julia sticks her head out of the window and yells, “And practice safe sex, Mac-Mac! Always!”

She blows me an air kiss and the taxi disappears around the bend.

Chapter 15

Everson

Claudie snaps open an energy drink as she drops onto the couch in the corner of the room. She takes a long gulp as the final chords of the song fade.

“You guys sound good,” she says somewhat over-enthusiastically, but I know my sister – I can see the skepticism on her brow.

“What are you
really
thinking, Claudia?” I ask as I set the microphone back on its stand.

She sighs deeply as Razor sets his guitar down and plops down next to her. We rehearsed all through the night and I’m starting to get antsy. The sun is rising and we still have so much work to do. We’ve got to record at least one of our new tracks today and a producer is coming in from Miami to put some finishing touches on a few of the other songs. The workload is grueling and I’m spiraling towards burnout. Claudie looks as stressed as I feel.

“I’m thinking that you guys sound like shit. You have a cross-country tour coming up
and
you have to record a new album. I don’t want you guys breaking down on me.” Now that my sister has unloaded her true thoughts on us, I feel my anxiety tick up a hundred notches. As our manager, it’s her job to make sure that we do our job well. If she’s freaking out that means we have some big trouble on our hands.

Kid sits behind his drum set. “Well, did you find us a way out of this mess, Claudie? You said you would.”

She sighs again. It’s like she’s aged 10 years over the past few weeks. “I have an idea but I want to leave it as a last resort because the label isn’t going to like it. Tasha is definitely going to blow her lid if we handle things my way.”

“What exactly are you getting at?” Joaquin asks as he sits on the arm of the couch.

Claudie holds up a hand. “I’m not ready to bring out the big guns yet, guys. It could get ugly. For now, just focus on rehearsing for tour and recording your new music. I want to examine all of our options before going nuclear.”

I push my fingers through my hair as I glance out the window. I see Mackenzie jogging across the beach, up to her backdoor. I’m longing to go over there and talk to her. “Fine, Claudie,” I say curtly. “But we’re depending on you. Don’t let us down.”

My sister gives me a weak smile. “Never have. Never will.”

“Good,” I say before turning to my band mates. “You blokes are starting to smell a touch rancid and I need to get at least an hour of beauty rest. So, how about we take a break and meet back here at 8:30?”

“Best idea I’ve heard all day, bruv,” Razor says as he yawns, stretching his arms above his head.

“Okay, back at 8:30 sharp,” I remind them as they filter out of the room.

Chapter 16

Everson

I should have gone to bed, but I found myself at Mackenzie’s.

I guess I was hoping that I’d end up in
her
bed.

She’s still dressed in a workout bra and leggings when I knock on her backdoor, her face still flushed from her jog. She lets me into the kitchen and I sit at the breakfast bar and watch her as she prepares breakfast for us – a fancy fruit parfait.

I grow painfully hard as I watch her rise onto her toes trying to snatch a large bowl from the top shelf. I may or may not have let her struggle for a moment longer than necessary before offering her my help. What can I say? I love seeing the definition in her thighs and the curve of her back as she strains to reach the shelf.

Call me a scallywag ‘cause that’s what I am.

I walk up behind her and effortlessly pull the bowl off of the shelf. But I don’t back away. Instead, my hands drop to her hips and I press my erection into the curve of her back. When she turns to face me, she’s wearing a demure smile.

I take it as an invitation to lean down and kiss her. It’s soft, this time. I take my time with her, trailing my hands up her sides, raking my fingers through her hair, savoring the flavor of pineapple on her breath. Her arms are wrapped around my neck and her mouth molds to mine as we taste each other.

I pull back to look at her. Her pink lip-gloss is gone, her hair is a mess, her breathing is erratic. I run the pad of my thumb along the edge of her lip. “So fucking beautiful,” I whisper, totally captivated by her.

I can’t stop staring at her.

I could stare at her forever.

I could kiss her forever.

And once I get my dick into her, I’ll never be able to let her go.

“What are you thinking about?” she asks quietly, her arms still laced around my neck.

“You don’t want to know.” I don’t want to scare her away.

“No, I do,” she insists.

I pull in a breath, a half-smile curving my lips. “I’m wondering what you’d look like spread out beneath me, with me buried deep inside of you.” I say the words so low they come out as a grumble.

Her eyes flutter away and heat creeps across her cheeks.
Fuck – I’ve offended her
.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I’ve made you uncomfortable.”

She’s quiet for a moment.
Shit – I’ve totally fucked up the moment, haven’t I?

Then, she says, “You’re seriously trying to get into my pants, aren’t you?”

“Abso-fucking –lutely,” I say with a wide grin.

She chuckles. “You know that Michael would kill you for trying to fuck his sister, right?”

I give her a one-shouldered shrug. “Michael’s cool.” Then, I step closer. So close I can feel only the warmth of her body wrapping around me. “But even if he wasn’t, you’d be worth it, Mackenzie.”

She leans back. I can tell she needs some space between us. So, she can breathe.

She sighs. “Everson – you’re a hot specimen and there’s nothing I’d like more than to fall into bed with you, but the truth is, a rock star is
not
a good match for me. I’ve got a vicious jealous streak and I don’t share my man.”

“That’s fine,” I say without skipping a beat.

Her eyebrows furrow. She doesn’t believe me. “I might get crazy. I mean,
really
crazy.”

“Like that blond chick in
Fatal Attraction
?” I laugh.

She nods, a smile tickling her lips.

“Fine. You’re a pshyco. But, in all seriousness, you won’t have a reason for jealousy. I’m yours. All yours. As soon as you say ‘yes’ to me.” I touch her chin lightly. “I won’t be the guy to break your heart.”

She steps back and pulls her fingers through her hair. “I – I –” She feels something for me; I know that. Maybe I’m moving too fast, pushing her too hard.

Time to change strategies.

“Okay, how about this – how about you let me take you on a date tonight? Dinner. Someplace nice.” I pout a little and bat my eyes comically at her.

She giggles – I love the sound of it – but she still hesitates.

“Look, I don’t want to pressure you but my tour is right around the corner. Nineteen cities in thirty-one days. So, I’ll be gone for a month. And by the time I get back, you’ll be getting ready to go back to New York. I don’t want us to miss out on the next few days. I’m desperate here ‘cause I feel that we could be something special, you and me. I may be wrong but I think you feel it too.”

She chews on her bottom lip as she looks away, contemplating my offer. “Why are you so insistent on having me?” she says in a quiet, tentative voice.

“Cause you’re fucking hot,” I say with a cheeky smirk.

She doesn’t seem amused.

She deserves the truth. She deserves to know how I really feel about her.

I rake my fingers through my hair. I feel my muscles tensing. “When we first met, you had no idea who I was, which was awesome. And then, even when you found out what I do for a living, you didn’t throw yourself at me…You’re making me work for this and that just makes me want you more.”

She looks skeptical. “So, I’m a challenge?”

I shake my head, my hands bracing her shoulders. “You’re refreshing. And genuine. You’re a breath of fresh air. In my world, I can snap my fingers and get a woman to drop her panties. But, it’s next to impossible to find a woman that’s beautiful
and
smart
and
talented, who isn’t afraid to be real with me. That’s why I like you Mackenzie. You’re the full package.”

Red rushes to her cheeks.

I make one final plea. “So, will you go out with me tonight?”

She diverts her eyes, fighting the urge to smile as she says, “Okay. Fine.”

I laugh. “Your enthusiasm just about to knocked me over,” I say sarcastically.

She laughs, too as she skirts around me, heading towards the stairs with her breakfast in hand. “I’m gonna go rehearse. I’ll see you tonight.”

And I’m grinning like I just won the lottery. “I’ll see you tonight,” I echo.

Just as she’s about to walk out the door, she turns back to me and says. “And, Everson?”

“Huh?”

“I think I like you, too.”