Rockin' the Heart (Hot Wired) (13 page)

Jase stepped halfway out the
garage door. That was her cue to get out of the vehicle.

She heaved a sigh and
escaped the arousal-drenched interior.

“
Something wrong?” Jase said as she neared.

“
Yeah, your friend stole my fun.”

He hooked his arm around her shoulder and led her inside.
“Fang was only doing what Tab sent him to do.”

“
Tab was the friend I was talking about. I got a little payback though.” She flashed her cell and grinned.

“
What’d you do?”

“
Told her I was in lockup and it’d take more than namedropping to get me out.”

Jase laughed, a deep belly type of rumble. She grinned as she opened the display on her cell. A missed text. She be
t her non-existent paycheck it was Tab.

“
Have I told you lately I love you, sis?” He kissed her temple. “I should tell you not to torment Tab like that, but she kinda deserves it.”

Yeah, she did
merit Sam’s mischief. “Despite being an impossible ass, I sorta love you too.”

She clicked the text and
grinned.

“
This business with Fang—”

“
Not open for discussion, Jase.”

“
Don’t cock-block me. I’m your brother. It’s my job to protect you.”

“
You think I don’t know that?” She elbowed him and pushed out of his arms.

“
What Tab is asking from y’all is sick and twisted. Kinda like you dating… me.”

That
’s what I’ve been saying
. Too bad it didn’t feel that way.

“
If you’re not up to playing the part, just say so. I have your back.”

“
So does Keys and Derringer. Heath already made a similar offer.” And a much more lurid one, but she would
not
get into that with Jase. She could imagine the drama that would follow if she updated him on Heath’s latest offer. “Seriously, you guys need a new hobby. Someone other than me. I’m pretty self-sufficient, but if and when I need help, you’ll be the first to know.”

Eyes focused on Sam rather than the audience, Heath hooked one finger around the bottleneck and swirled his beer. Earlier she’d high-fived Jase and hip bumped him when their favorite football college team, the University of Alabama, scored against the rival team to go on top. Their excited screaming had almost drowned out the fans in the arena as their opening act, Tone Deaf, rocked the crowd. An hour later Hot Wired hit the stage to close down the first night of the tour, and the entire time all he’d thought about was Sam when he should have been focused on giving the spectators a performance they’d talk about for weeks.

If he peered toward the side of the stage,
Heath could locate Sam with ease. As a kid they’d allowed her to watch. Old habits died hard he guessed. She’d never stopped attending their concerts from the side stage, and she usually shook her ass to their beat.

Tonight was no different.

He guzzled his drink, and raked his gaze across the fans. An expectant hush descended as they waited for what would follow. Sweat spiraled between his shoulder blades and trailed down his spine. He wanted Sam sweaty from working her into a sexual frenzy. As he thrust into her body, he would lick the perspiration off her.

Fuck! Sam wasn
’t a sex object.

He shook his head.
Yeah, he wanted Sam, but he needed to be able to claim her as his girl with honesty first.

“
What do y’all think about my girl?” Hoots and hollers lifted to the rafters. From the corner of his eye he caught sight of Sam going from her carefree stance into one of tautness. “She’s smokin’ hot, huh?” Deafening cheers that time. He drained his beer and tossed the empty bottle into a trashcan off to the side. He fondled the mic he’d placed back in the cradle. He turned to peer straight at Sam. “Come say hi, Sam.”

Her k
iller glare nailed him, and she shook her head.

“
She’s shy.” He chuckled when she swiped her thumb across her throat and pointed at him. “She’s threatening to kill me.” He grinned at the audience and waggled his eyebrows. He toed the stand with biker boots sporting red flames. “She’s gonna need some encouragement.”

A few up front began to chant,
“Sam! Sam! Sam!” and it built through the audience until it was a full-fledged beat. Jase threw a steady
rap-tap-tap
of the drums into it, and Derringer followed suit with a strum. She made similar death threats at the two of them. Heath glanced at his band mates. Jase grinned at her, egging her on in brotherly fashion, while Derr’s demeanor remained sedate.

Keys
wiped the back of his wrist against his mouth after swilling his spirits. He pointed the bottle at Sam. “Do I need to come get you? I don’t mind showing the fans how we used to spank you, Boo.”

Murder bled from her eyes as she strolled toward them in her four-inch knee-high boots. Heath was almost certain she said
“dead meat” as she sidled past Keys.

The lead guitarist winked at her and teased,
“I had no idea you were so kinky.”

S
he marched onto the stage straight to Heath, hips swaying provocatively. The fans screamed when she presented herself. She slammed her hand in the center of his chest hard enough an
oomph
fled his lungs. She fisted his shirt and yanked him a little closer. Getting in his face, only the microphone between them. Into the instrument she said, “You’re dead when you come off this stage, Fang.”

“
Aw, baby, I love the way you sweet talk me.” Humor rippled through the onlookers.

A glimmer hit her eyes. That mischief was all the warning he received before she
waylaid him with a kiss. Jase’s stick crashed into the cymbal, and the crowd went wild. Heath’s pulse skyrocketed.

She
’d been reading his mind. He’d wanted his mouth on hers since her excitement over the ballgame. Singing always jazzed him up, and his lust for her had escalated.

She
grasped the short hairs on his nape and twisted hard enough to sting. As a means to scold him for dragging her on stage or as a means to taunt his lust, he wasn’t certain. She darted her tongue into his mouth and scuffed it around his. He groaned, the sound picked up by the microphone and emitted to the crowd. Whistles and other lewd catcalls carried from the fans, and she broke from the embrace, patting his cheek as she would Jase.

A smile toyed at the corners of her lips
, and she yanked on his hair again.
That
was a scold. She swiped the mic out of the stand and ran her finger down his damp chest. “How many of you ladies think my man is
sexay
?”

Shrieking ensued along with a host of jumping
up and down. “Yeah, I thought so.” While gazing at him, she
tsked
the crowd. “Coveting another woman’s man.
Sinners
!” She faced the crowd as she screamed the last word at them. A frenzy of excitement ensued. “How many whores we got in the audience tonight?”

Jesus Christ
, even the men went wild over that question.

“
I bet y’all want to know if Fang’s good in bed, too, huh?” A united ‘
yes
’ shook the stage. “A lady never kisses and tells.” Boos followed. “Good thing I’m not a lady, huh?”

Heath didn
’t know the mob could get louder until that moment. Sam giggled and pointed to Jase who’d risen from his seat, beating his drumsticks against his thigh with a rapid rat-tat-tat as if he contemplated using them on someone’s head. His other hand was curled into a tight fist at his side, his knuckles white. She motioned for him to take a seat, but her brother ignored her silent instruction and continued to glare.

He
ath mouthed to Jase, “She’s joking.”

His best friend didn
’t sit or appear to believe him.

Stowing the mic behind her back she whispered to Jase,
“Get your panties out of a wad, big brother. Sit and chill. You don’t hear me complaining about those you screw.”

Sam whipped
back around to the throng while Jase glared at him. Heath leaned forward and whispered, “Come on man, you know she’s joking.”

“
I know
your
history with the ladies.”

Surrendering, he
threw his arms up in the air. Maybe Jase would eventually believe them, and if not, then he’d deal with him afterward. Too bad his buddy didn’t appear to be in a reasonable frame of mind.

She slapped
him on the ass. Startled Heath jerked upward and swung around to gape at her. The spectators were so worked up they were like a rolling sea of human bodies and a disembodied voice.

“
Has Hot Wired been rocking your asses off tonight?” The fans shrieked their pleasure. “I knew they would,” she said mildly as she walked to the edge of the stage in her unique hip-rolling strut. Sam was sexy as fuck. The next words she yelled into the mic were enunciated with hip pumps referencing sex. “Because Fang’s fucking rocks my world!”

Shit
!

The fans
detonated like a bomb, proving how much rowdier they could become. Keys laughed when she spun around with a cocky grin on her face. The lead guitarist threw out some choppy chords and bowed to her.

Sam tossed Heath the
microphone and went onto her tippy-toes to press her lips against his ear. “I warmed them up with foreplay. Now fuck ‘em hard, Fang.”

She bit his ear as he had hers the other night and took off with an ass-swaying stride.

How the fuck do I follow that performance
?

“
This one’s for my girl.” Heath jabbed the mic into its stand and strode to the side-stage to grab his acoustic guitar and sling the strap over his shoulder. “It’ll give the band a moment to rest. I’ve been working on this one. Tonight is the first time anyone’s heard it even the rest of Hot Wired.” He scanned the spectators. “Y’all up for a never before heard song?” They cheered him on. “It’s called
Rockin’ the Heart
and it’s dedicated to Sam Collins, the woman who
is
rockin’ the fuck outta my heart.”

Heath threw out the first frets on his acoustic guitar and the audience quieted to a low hum. Belly churning, his nerves threatened to spew the beer he
’d consumed. He turned in the direction where Sam had been. Almost off the stage, stationary in a half-turned state she gaped at him, alarm fraying the corners of her eyes.

My love, you got me on my knees

Take me for who I am

Begging....Pleading....

In your arms, I am meant to be

Let me give you what you’re

Wanting.....Needing.....

Cause you are

Accompanying music joined in. First a beat merged from the drums, followed by Keys on lead guitar. Sam hugged herself, blinking quickly as he hit the chorus and picked up the tempo of the song.

Rockin’ the Heart

Can you feel the drum beat

Keeping tempo in my veins

Rockin
’ the Heart

A rhythm to your love

Pounding in my chest

Rockin
’ the Heart

Sam glanced around at those milling about her. Behind her Tab grinned like a fool, her foot tapping in time with the thumping.

Derringer added his bass
rhythm to the harmony. From the corner of his eyes he realized the crowd locked arms and swayed.

My love, I’m lost without you now

There
’s an emptiness in me

Aching....Bleeding....

In your arms, I’m meant to be

Let me give you what you
’re

Wanting.....Needing....

Cause you are

Rockin’ the Heart

Can you feel the drum beat

Keeping tempo in my veins

Rockin
’ the Heart

A rhythm to your love

Pounding in my chest

Rockin
’ the Heart

Jase added a splash of cymbals and Keys threw out some rapid-fire frets.

When I think about life without you

I find myself drowning, my breath slowly slipping

Cause when you are with me,

the world is right

And you are

Rockin’ the Heart

Can you feel the drum beat

Keeping tempo in my veins

Rockin
’ the Heart

A rhythm to your love

Pounding in my chest

Rockin
’ the Heart

My love, my life,

Rockin
’ the Heart

The first time they performed the song together, and while far from perfect, Heath thought they managed to make it work. Felt like they’d slayed the bitch. That’s why he loved these guys so goddamn much. They knew one another and practically read one another’s mind.

Heart pounding in his throat and ears, he held Sam
’s gaze for several heartbeats. He’d taken a chance with the audience’s reaction to the song. Sam’s reaction. And the band’s too. He had no idea how any would respond.

The crowd
’s excitement was deafening as they screamed and stomped their feet. Heath’s focus remained on Sam until she spun on her heels and ran from his sight.

Unable to determine
what her retreat implied, he hesitated to meet Jase’s eyes. His best friend’s feelings were obvious. The tight line of his buddy’s jaw told him everything. Livid. Later would not go well.

Keys shoulder bumped him.
“Great song. I can’t wait to see what you write after she kicks your ass.”