My Once and Future Love (3 page)

I braided the sides of my hair off my face
and added another coat of mascara and gloss.

“Beth! I need my bathroom!” he yelled through
the door.

“Okay!” I grabbed my stuff and opened the
door. “I was only in here ten minutes,
geesh
.”

He looked me up and down. “Nice.”

Chewing my lip, I asked, “Really? Not gonna
stand out like a sore thumb?”

“Bethie, you can never go wrong with black.”
He kissed my cheek as we passed in the doorway. “Now get out.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

The door shut and I heard the shower turn
on.

Naked, sudsy Jacob…

Whoa, thought train.

“Let’s see what’s on TV,” I muttered.

He walked out in just his jeans a short time
later to finish dressing in his bedroom, hair still wet and drops
of water clinging to his torso. Even hotter than I remembered. This
vacation was not going to go well if I couldn’t get my hormones
under control.

We took a cab to his venue, since he had to
carry his guitar.

“Pick a table where you want,” he said, and
hopped on stage to start the sound check.

I hadn’t watched him perform since the talent
show his senior year. Tingles raced down my spine and they wouldn’t
start the concert for close to an hour.

The club wasn’t well-lit, and painted in dark
tones. Tables sat along the sides, leaving a dance floor in the
middle. The bar was in the back. The floor was sticky. We’d come
down a short stairwell from the street, so I guess you could
consider this the basement. Looking around, the place would maybe
fit two-hundred people standing.

Jacob was on lead guitar and vocals. He had a
bassist, a drummer, and a guy that bounced between rhythm guitar
and the keyboard. I winced at the volume when they started to play
for real. Would it be that loud for the concert?

The sound check wasn’t the same as a
rehearsal—they started and stopped a lot of songs, playing, then
calling out to the sound guy some musically-technical instruction I
didn’t understand. I’d get into the groove of a melody, then
poof—no more song. Like watching my dad flip channels on a
Sunday.

I ordered a soda and adjusted the light
settings on my camera.

Chapter Three

Bethie must’ve been a good luck charm, ‘cause
they
kicked ass
.

The lights went down on the stage so they
could carry their equipment off before the next band. Jacob zipped
his guitar into its soft case and went in search of her. She was
still at the table, sipping from a glass. She smiled when she saw
him.

“You were great!” She stood to hug him and
swayed on her feet. “Whoo, head rush.”

“Pet, what are you drinking?”

She held the glass up. “Coke.”

“May I?” he asked, holding his hand out.

She placed it in his palm. “Sure.”

He took a swallow. Rum and Coke
.
“How
many of these have you had?”

“I don’t know. The waitress said they were on
the band’s tab.”

Shit, he’d forgotten anyone linked with an
act got free booze. Place filled up most nights just because they
didn’t card, anyway. “Someone gave you the wrong drink, Beth. Let’s
get you home.”

She shrugged. “Okay. It’s hot in here.”

They hit the outside air; she shivered. He
moved to the curb to hail a cab. She pressed into his side.

“Cold?”

“No.” She sniffed his neck. “You smell
good.”

“Thanks.”

She nuzzled the skin above his collar.
“Yummy.”

He grinned down at her, trying not to laugh.
Girl was an adorable drunk.

A cab pulled to a stop in front of them. “In
you go, love.”

He climbed in after Beth and gave the cabbie
his address. She slid closer to lean her head on his shoulder.

“Tired?”

“No…”

He felt a warm hand sneak under his shirt,
then she nuzzled his neck again. “Uh, Bethie, what are you
doing?”

She straddled his leg and nibbled his throat.
“What does it feel like?” Two hands explored his abs.

He felt his body responding to her attentions
and grabbed her shoulders to push her back. “Sweetheart, you’re
drunk.”

She smiled. “Feel fine.” Her fingers tickled
his sides. “Feel good, actually.”

“Beth--”

She kissed him, then put her finger on his
lips. “You talk too much.”

Trapped between her and the guitar, he
couldn’t really move, and she was persistent in being naughty. She
trailed hot, wet kisses up to his ear, then flicked the lobe with
her tongue and sucked it into her mouth, her teeth applying light
pressure. His hips arched off the seat as a jolt of electricity and
blood went straight to his groin.

“Playin’ with fire, love.”

He felt her grin.

“Good.” One of those sneaky hands slipped
under his shirt again. “Can’t tell me you don’t like it.”

True enough, but it wasn’t right. He put his
hands on her hips to push her away, then clenched his fingers when
she bit his ear again.

“Beth--”

She cut off his complaint with another kiss,
plunging her tongue in his mouth.

The cab stopped and the cabbie announced the
fare owed.

Beth pulled away, grinning while Jacob
fumbled for his wallet. He shoved a few bills at the man and opened
the car door, grateful for the cooler summer air to calm his
hormones. She wrapped her arms around his waist as he slung his
guitar case on his shoulder.

One of her hands slid in his back pocket. He
jumped. She smirked up at him, mischief in her eyes.

“Quit that. I need to unlock the door.” The
door to the street was locked after dark except to residents.

“Hurry up, then.”

He turned his key in the lock and opened the
door for her. It locked automatically again once they were inside.
He slammed her against the wall and kissed her hard enough to
bruise, hoping to scare her into backing off.

“That what you want?” he spat.

She stared at him, then grabbed his head and
kissed him back, wrapping her long arms around his neck and curling
her leg around his hip. Part of him thought
you’re resisting
this, why?
She kissed like he was her favorite treat and she
was going to gorge herself on him.

Sod it—he picked her up, her legs wrapping
around his waist, and carried her into the stairwell to press her
against the wall. He let the guitar case slide carefully to the
floor. Snogging his best friend was the last thing he expected to
do tonight, but he couldn’t deny it was a bloody good time. The
cock-stand in his jeans was hard enough to hurt. Couldn’t remember
the last time he’d been this turned on.

Or wanted this much.

She clung to him like to a life preserver,
one hand grasping the back of his shirt, the other tugging on the
hair at the base of his skull each time he did something she liked.
He pressed his hips into her center, seeking pressure for some
relief. She squeaked and pressed back.

Oh god…

His southern brain took over, dry-humping
moans out of his girl that echoed up the stairwell. He slid his
hands under her ass to support her weight and give him greater
leverage. She sucked his tongue numb, but he didn’t care.

“Jacob…”

Shiny eyes and lips swollen from kisses.
Gorgeous.

“Upstairs?” he asked.

She nodded. He let her down, picked up the
guitar, and grabbed her hand. They ran up to his flat. Keys in the
lock, knob twisted, and they were inside. He pressed her against
the door, unable to resist her lips.

She walked him backward to the futon and
pushed him down, straddling his lap. His hands slid under the back
of her top. God, her skin was soft. They parted for air and he
hiked the tank over her head and dropped it on the floor, then
kissed and nibbled her neck, making a path over her collarbone
and—

A charm on a delicate chain.

Beth’s graduation gift.

His best friend, barely out of high school
and barely eighteen.

God, what am I doing?

Any
other girl, and they’d be racing
to his bedroom to get naked right now, but this was
Bethie
.
Sure, they’d have a night of fun, but then would come the sober
harsh light of day and things would never be the same.

Jacob needed to regain control.

He gently moved her off his lap and handed
her top to her. “I’m sorry, love.” He went to the kitchen for
water, and distance.

“For what?”

“I shouldn’t’ve kissed you back. You’re
drunk.”

“That occurs to you
now
?”

He turned to her, surprised she was pissed
off. “Hey, tryin’ to be a gentleman, here.”

She started to argue, then grabbed her belly.
“I’m going to throw up.” She walked quickly to his bathroom.

He heard the seat lifted up, then the sound
of her emptying her stomach. Poor thing. He dampened a cloth and
walked into the bathroom.

“Here.” He pulled her hair back and placed
the cool cloth on her neck.

“Thank you.” She had her head over the
basin.

“Empty?”

“Maybe.” She straightened and flushed the
toilet, then plopped down with her back against the tub. “Ugh.”

He smiled. “Been there.”

She frowned. “You’re under twenty-one.”

“Drinkin’ age here is less, pet.”

“Oh. All I ordered was a soda…” She leaned
over the bowl and wretched again.

He held her hair back again. “I know. You
can’t trust the bartender there.”

Once she stopped, he got up for a bottle of
water. He brought it back with aspirin, set the pills on the sink
and handed her the water.

“Here. Rinse your mouth.”

She did so, spit, and flushed the toilet
again. “Yeah, that was sexy.”

“Done?”

“Think so.” She dropped her head back on the
rim of the tub and closed her eyes. He touched the cloth to her
flushed cheeks. She sighed. “Don’t have to take care of me.”

“Rubbish.”

She opened one eye. “Mean it. Not a kid
anymore.”

“Got the message on that, yeah.” He still
felt her kiss.

“You can go away now.”

“It’s my bathroom, love.”

She groaned. “Don’t call me that.
Please.”

He tilted her chin up. “What?”

“Don’t.” She jerked her head away.

“What do you mean by that?”

“By what?”

“Not calling you ‘love’. Never seemed to mind
before. I don’t understand.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Bethie…”

“You don’t mean it.” She dropped her face on
her folded knees. “Forget it.”

“Can’t. It’s going to bug me now.”

She lifted her head. “Life is full of
disappointments. Deal.”

“Hey, don’t take your hangover out on
me.”

“
Forget it
.” She wobbled to her feet.
“I just wanna lie down.” She started for the futon.

“Take my bed. It’s more comfortable.”

She shook her head, one hand on the wall.
“Not throwing you out of your own bed.”

He walked around her to face her. “I’m
offerin’. You just have to take it.”

“Jacob…”

Tired of bickering, he picked her up and
carried her to his room. She didn’t protest as he set her on the
mattress and started removing her shoes. He pulled the covers over
her, turned off the light, and began to leave.

“Don’t go,” she whispered. “I just…I feel
like crap and I don’t sleep well in strange places.”

He sighed. “Yeah, alright. Let me shut off
the lights.” Once done, he grabbed the water and aspirin and set
them on the bedside table.

She’d already rolled to her side, facing the
wall. He took off his boots and belt and lay down next to her on
his back.

What a night…

Her breathing slowed. He rolled over to check
she was asleep and gently removed her glasses, setting them on the
table next to her.

You don’t mean it
echoed through his
mind.
Don’t mean
what?

He couldn’t sleep in his clothes and quietly
rolled off the bed. The post-gig shower and pig-out awaited. An
exceptional set always amped him up. Normally, he’d party with the
boys, but with Beth along, he’d declined.

And why
was
that? He said no before he
found her sipping on a doctored drink. His mates had no problem
meeting a new friend, so that couldn’t have been it. His mother
already knew he’d bring her back tomorrow, so that wasn’t it,
either.

Because she’s Bethie,
his mind
whispered,
and you didn’t want any of them to hit on
her.

Well, yeah…but I wouldn’t recommend them to
any female friend.

Tell us another one.

Hey, brain. You’re s’posed to be on my
side.

I am, idiot, if you’d open your eyes.

He turned the faucet knob and cut off the
shower, toweled dry, then slipped into a pair of sweats and padded
to the kitchen for munchies. Carrying a piled-high sandwich and a
beer to the futon, he turned on his Playstation, keeping the volume
low.

He’d been playing an hour when she walked out
of the bedroom.

“Hey, pet.”

“You left.”

“Wasn’t sleepy. Feeling better?”

She sat on the sofa, several inches between
them. “Some. My head hurts.”

“Left aspirin--”

“I know. I took some.”

“Oh.” He reached the end of the level and
paused the game. “Okay.”

She nodded, twisting a ring on her hand.
“Sorry for…”

“Being a horny drunk?” he teased.

Her hair fell to hide the side of her face.
“For snapping at you. I’m not a friendly patient.”

“No harm done.”

She nodded again, still not facing him.
“Well, you can have your bed back.”

“Beth--”

“I’d go back to your mom’s, but it’s the
middle of the night.”

“Bethie--”

She looked at him, then. “Please, Jacob.”

He sighed, nodded, and stood to leave. “I’ll
get you a pillow.”