Interlude (Rockstar #4) (10 page)

"You're mine and it's not a joke," I tell her, staking my claim.

"I don't even know what that means," she tells me honestly.

"Neither do I, but we'll see how it plays out, yeah?"

"Yeah, I don't think so," she says. I see the minute she starts to panic. She pushes me off and stands up. "Nope. No. Can't do that." She grabs a wet towel and finishes washing her face.

"What?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.

"The whole fangirl crush thing I had going on when I was younger? Sure it's still there and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you in my bed. But yours?" She shakes her head in denial.

She's going to make this difficult. Everything about me and her has been difficult, why should this be any different?

"Yeah,
mine
."

"I'm pretty happy being just me."

I stare at her, knowing she's not going to admit to it just yet, but she will eventually. She knows it's true, just as I do.

"If that's how you want this to go, I'll play along," I tell her with a shrug.

"Jesse, this isn't a game."

Not to me, no. "Sounds like you're making it one."

"No.
You
are making it one. We barely know one another."

"So what? We'll get to know one another—in and out of bed."

"How do you propose we do that when we have one more day on this shoot and then we go our separate ways?"

"We'll figure it out."

She shakes her head again. "I'm not going to deny my attraction to you. That's just stupid, but that's it. Attraction, lust, want, desire. That's all."

"You keep telling yourself that, Lucy." I tried that too. I'll let her hold onto that delusion if that's what she needs.

"It's the truth."

"Uh-huh."

She huffs in frustration.

"They're waiting for us. We need to go," I tell her, grabbing her hand and pulling her down the hallway. Spenser laughs behind us and I smirk. As we near the conference room, she struggles to pull her hand out of mine, but I just hold on.

"Let go."

"I don't think so." Not for a good long time.

"Jesse. Stop."

I meet her gaze and see fear and apprehension. I don't want to push her too hard. I don't want her to run from this. I lift our hands and press a kiss to her knuckles.

"I'll let you go. For now."

I release her hand and she rolls her eyes.

"I'm not going to be yours, Jesse," she tells me without much conviction.

"You already are," I tell her truthfully.

With that, I walk into the conference room, leaving her standing in the hallway.

"What the hell is wrong with that man?" I hear her mutter, and I grin as I take a seat at the table.

She's mine. Mine. I'll help her see it and alleviate some of her fears while I do. She's not just another one in a long line of chicks to bang. Not Lucy. Lucy's more and that's what she doesn't realize. Not yet. But soon.

"What's shakin', doll?"
Xander says to Lucy.

"Hey," she says with a smile as she takes a seat. "Sera and I would like to talk to you all about…"

"Our total life change," Sera interrupts.

"What? You're getting sex changes?" Ben says with a chuckle.

"No, smart ass," Sera glares.

I hand Lucy a diet Coke and take a seat next to her. She forces a smile and I smirk.

"Thanks."

"No problem, Luce." I open the top of my Coke bottle and take a long swallow.

"Jesus, Lucy. Look away from the hottie and let's get to business."

I grin and Lucy blushes. "Uh, yeah. Sorry. So I was saying—"

She gets cut off when the conference room door opens.

"What's up, fuckers?" a dude I've never met before exclaims, and Sera and Lucy squeal and run over and hug him. Lucy jumps up, wrapping her arms and legs around him, and he smacks her ass. I frown, seeing a red haze around the edge of my vision.

"Oh my God, we weren't expecting to see you here!" Lucy says.

"Max said you were still here, so here I am," the dude replies.

"This is awesome," Sera says with a laugh.

I clear my throat, frown firmly in place, and Lucy turns to look at me. Then the damn infuriating woman rolls her eyes.

"Everyone, this is Jace. He grew up with us and he's come out here to play with us."

"Play?" I ask, still scowling.

"Yeah," Lucy answers, walking back to her seat. "You see, after the whole club incident, I realized I was completely done."

"What do you mean 'done'?" Cage asks Lucy.

"Acting. Unless some phenomenal part with an amazing costar—"

"Milo Ventimiglia," Sera interrupts with a smirk.

"Yeah," she breathes. "Milo." She sits there for a few seconds, daydreaming about Milo. "I was saying, unless some really great part I can't pass up falls in my lap, I'm done."

"Same with me for modeling," Sera adds, meeting Cage's gaze with a smile.

Surprised murmurs fill the room.

Cage raises his brows. "What does Regina say?"

Lucy laughs. "She was
not
happy at first and was trying to talk me out of it until my dad jumped in."

"Excellent. Good man," Cage says with a grin. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

"It does."

"What does it mean?" I ask, feeling as if I’m missing something.

Lucy leans forward, looking around the table.

"It means that as of yesterday, well last night, I'm no longer an actress and Sera's no longer a model and Jace no longer works at his dad's accounting firm. It means that we're going to come together—with a few others that we still need to find—and share our music with the world."

"You're going to rock?" Ben asks with a grin.

Lucy nods. "We are."

"Fuck yeah." My Cupcake is gonna rock the shit out of it.

Everyone goes nuts. From "that fucking rocks" to "holy shit". The room is loud and boisterous and full of excitement.

"Lucy, this is cool as fuck," I tell her, pulling her in for a hug. "Are you sure?"

She's a fantastic actress. She's giving up a lot.

She nods. "One hundred percent."

I lean back and shake my head. This is seriously kick ass.

Cage gets everyone to quiet down.

"What do you need to make this happen?"

I fucking love that he's on board with this. He'll do whatever it takes, especially, it seems, for Lucy and Sera. Apparently they're a lot closer than I imagined.

"First I'd like to say I'm not sure why you've done it but you've befriended us and you barely know us," Lucy announces.

"We know enough," Xander says. "You're hot, you're talented, and you're sweet and classy chicks. We like you."

"Just like that? You're
rockstars
."

"And you're an Academy Award-winning actress and let's not get to the nominations," he retorts. "Why are
you
befriending us? You don't have to be our friends to get in Jesse's pants."

Oh, that fired my Cupcake right up and Xander knows it.

"I wouldn't use you like that. That's just rude—" Xander's grin grows. "You totally played me," she tells him through narrowed eyes.

Xander chuckles. "I did. You're really sexy when you're fired up. Now, as Cage asked, what do you need to make this happen?"

"Band members," Sera blurts out.

"
Reliable, nondrug-using
band members," Lucy adds.

"Well, shit. That's easy," Ethan chimes in.

"Easy? Even the nondrug-using part?"

He nods. "We know a lot of people and I, personally, know a few guys and girls who are looking for a good band."

"But we're not established and you know a lot of people are going to turn their noses up and really criticize because of who I am." Lucy looks to Sera and Jace apologetically. "They're going to see an actress not a musician."

"Fuck them," Jace says.

"Exactly," I agree. "Fuck 'em. Look at Jared Leto."

Lucy snorts. "Jared Leto is in a class all by himself. He just stands there and women fall at his feet—add in his talent and you've got a phenomenal talent like no other."

"So you'll be in a class all of your own. It's the talent that gets you there, the voice, the band, the music. You've got it all," I tell her, no lie.

Sera sighs. "Jared Leto. Wow, those eyes of his and his smile."

"Oh boy, Jared. Do you happen to know him?" Lucy asks.

I frown when Ethan tells her he can introduce her to him sometime. Sera and Lucy wiggle their eyebrows at each other.

"Mmm, Jared," Lucy murmurs. Fuck that. Jared Leto. M. Shadows. Milo Ventimiglia. Fuck them all. She's mine.

"Back to the topic at hand," I say with a pointed look. "Just let us know what spots you've got open and we're on it." I look to Cage, who nods.

"Well, it depends. Sera do you want to drum full-time?"

Xander laughs.

"Find something amusing, drummer boy?" Sera grits out.

"Yeah, your skinny arms drummer girl."

"I was skinnier than this in high school and not nearly as toned."

"Flex a muscle, darlin'."

She does and I'm pretty impressed. He raises his brows then reaches over and squeezes underneath her arm. She rolls her eyes.

"Please. As if I wouldn't firm that shit up. It's a woman's weak spot."

I squeeze Lucy in that spot, feeling her firm muscular arms, and I grin.

"Smart ladies."

"We started out with a trainer who was like Hitler on crack. He taught us a good regimen
then
wanted to tell us what we could and couldn't eat and that was it for me," Sera tells us.

Lucy nods. "There is no messing with my food. I eat what I want, how much I want, and when I want. Don't be trying to take away my peanut M&Ms or I'll cut a bitch."

I chuckle. Big threats from such a dainty woman. I put my arm behind her on the arm of the chair, my hand resting on her lower back. Jace notices and his eyebrows go up. Lucy rolls her eyes at my need to touch her and Jace grins.

"I think you forgot something, Lucy," Jace tells her.

"I did?"

"You did. You forgot to introduce me to the best damn band ever."

"Oh my God! Please forgive my error. At the head of the table down there is Cage Nichols, multi-business owner, record and video producer extraordinaire." They greet each other with a nod.

"Next is Ethan Ashcroft, bass guitarist for Falling Down. Then we have the ever-quiet Kennedy Caldwell on rhythm guitar, the bratty Ben Kingston on lead guitar, and the ever-critical Xander Mackenzie on drums. Next to me, currently groping my ass, is the man with the sexiest voice around, none other than Jesse Kingston. Guys, meet Jace Warner, bass guitarist for," Lucy pauses to look at Sera and Jace, questioning, and they both nod. "Blush."

"Fucking perfect," Xander says with a clap. "That is fucking perfect for you. Blush."

She blushes just then and he points and laughs.

"Fuck off," she says with a laugh. "It was the name of our band in high school."

"Where are the other members, Lucy?" I ask.

She looks at me, her expression so sad I want to make it better. "They've got responsibilities and lives and kids and good jobs and… strings they don't want to tug on."

I nod, knowing how that goes. "Got it. Sera's got drums? Or are you going on guitar?"

Sera hesitates, unsure.

"It's easier to find good, reliable drummers than it is guitarists—but only because I know more of them." Cage nods to me in agreement.

Lucy bites her lip and I reach out and soothe it with my thumb. "Don't."

"I can't help it. Nervous habit."

I look to Sera for her answer.

"Rhythm guitar."

"Good choice. You being up front with Lucy will bring in the guys. Jace and whoever we get, if it's a guy, will bring in the girls."

Sera pouts. "Drummers bring in people."

"Fuckin' A we do," Xander exclaims.

"I know it, but honestly, can you see it, Xan? These two up front, Jace in the middle."

He nods, as do the rest of the guys and Cage.

"I see it and I’m liking it," says Kennedy who never speaks.

"Oh my God! He speaks!" Lucy exclaims, teasing.

He scowls. "I'm a man of few words. It'd be cool if you could get one more chick in the band. Doesn't matter if it's guitar or drums. It'll even out the guy-to-girl ratio. We've got so many chicks at our shows there are no tickets left for the fucking guys unless it's their boyfriends."

"True that," Ethan says.

"I’m sure none of you complain," Lucy says with a pointed look at me. My brows lift and she looks away. I sense jealousy from my Cupcake and I like it. At least I know I'm not alone in that.

"So we need lead guitar and drums?" Lucy asks.

"Sera, why aren't you taking lead?" Jace asks.

"It's been too long," Sera murmurs with a wry grin.

"Yet you were willing to tackle drums?"

She huffs at Lucy.

Ben stands up. "Come on. Let's go see what she's got."

"What? No," she protests.

"Suck it up and let's go. You should be lead," Lucy whispers, "and you know it."

We get to the stage and Xander hands Sera his sticks. "Let's hear the drums first so we judge correctly."

Sera nods. "What do you want to play?"

We all pick up our instruments. Xander taps his chin with his index finger. "You up for a challenge, doll?"

I smirk as Sera narrows her eyes. Xander grins knowing he laid down a challenge.

"I thought so. Let's see how much stamina you've got.
Nightmare
by Avenged Sevenfold."

"Oh boy," Lucy tells me with raised eyebrows. I just shrug. "I can't really sing this one with you. Ethan's better for this one."

"That's why you're not backing me up. You're singing it with me. I've heard your rasp."

"Whatever, I can't sing like a dude," she tells me. No, she can't, but she can sing like Lucy and that's pretty fucking awesome.

"Let's do this," I say.

Sera whips her long brown hair up into a messy bun and takes a seat, adjusting for the height difference. She looks up and counts it off on her sticks and we're rocking.

Fuck yeah
, is my first thought, watching Sera beating the fuck out of those drums. Christ, that's hot.

I close my eyes, singing from deep down, feeling it flow out from my soul and when I hear Lucy join in, I grin. She's incredible. I don't sound a whole lot like M. Shadows, but I make it my own. That's what sets apart wannabes from the real thing.

Lucy gives it her all and as the song ends, I open my eyes and wink at her. Her smile steals my breath.

"Fucking killer," Ethan shouts and fist bumps Jace. The two bass players were having a good time it seems.

Xander nods at Sera, his grin wide. She hands him his sticks. "You kicked ass. How do you feel?"

"Like I could keep going."

"Could you keep going for two hours solid? Maybe with a couple small breaks."

She tilts her head to the side and wiggles her eyebrows. He grins again. "I was talking about drums, darlin', but if you're heading in that direction we can always find out together."

She laughs. "I could keep playing for two hours. Maybe not at that pace the entire time, but I could do two hours."