Under My Thumb (Serenade Series #1) (4 page)

Chapter Seven

♬

Prudence Clearwater

I was still in shock after Cash’s limo pulled away. Did that really just happen? He intervened and ar
ranged the entire evening. To be honest, it was kinda creepy…but also really romantic. If it were some other guy, I may have just stormed off and left. But with Cash, there was nowhere else I’d rather be.

“Sorry you ha
d to watch the play by yourself,” Gavin said when he approached me. “I would have switched with you if they let me.”

“I know,” I said. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Did you like it?” Desi asked.

I had a hard time paying attention. Cash’s gaze was glued to my face and the heat of his stare burned my skin. I desperately wanted to return the look but I was afraid to. Why? I
have no idea. “It was great,” I lied.

“Ready to head home?” Mason asked. “We haven’t gone to bed before midnight
in longer than I can remember.”

“Because we’re rock stars,” Gavin said. “We don’t need sleep.”

“I do,” I said quickly. “Without it, I’m grouchy.”

“That makes two of us,” Desi said. “Let’s go.”

♫

When Desi and I were in bed, I finally opened up to her. The more I became aware of Gavin’s intentions toward me, the more I felt guilty for being into someone else, not that I should. “Guess who I sat next to?”

“Let me guess…Jennifer Aniston?”

“No, no one famous.”

“Then I don’t have a clue.”

“That guy from backstage.”

Her eyes widened and she sat up. “Oh my god. What are the odds?”

“Not very good, actually. He arranged everything.”

“Are you serious? That’s hot.”

I felt the heat in my cheeks.

“What’s he like?”

“Rich, handsome, sophisticated, educated, polite…”

“A good kisser?”

“I wouldn’t know,” I said sadly.

Desi’s eyes looked far away. “Wow. He’s really into you.”

“We’re having dinner tomorrow.”

She clapped her hands together. “Sleep with him. Please.”

“Whoa…I don’t put out on the first date.”

“So? You’ve had one boyfriend your entire life. You did everything slow and look where it got you.”

I hated thinking about Isaac
. That relationship was the biggest waste of my time. All those years in college I could have been dating other guys, finding someone worth my time. Instead, I got a man that shattered my heart into so many pieces it could never be repaired. Thinking about it really brought down my mood. “What am I doing?”

“What does that mean?” Desi asked.

“I shouldn’t get involved with anyone.”

“Wh
y? You’ve been single for months.”

“I—I just don’t want to be with anyone.
I just don’t want to do it again. I’m not ready to risk another heartbreak where we end up hating each other. Life wasn’t meant to be that way. People come and go from your life. And that’s natural.”

Desi gave me
a sympathetic look. “Don’t let the past ruin your future, Pru.”

“I’m not,” I said firmly. “That’s just my
new philosophy.”

“Based on inaccurate data and unfortunate luck.”

I pulled the sheets further up my body, feeling suddenly cold. The warm and fuzzy feeling I had deep inside was gone. The butterflies in my stomach turned into mush. The excitement I felt for Cash disappeared. “I should cancel.”

“No,” Desi said firmly. “You’re going. I’ll force you if I have to.”

“If I’m out of the way, you can sleep with him.” I tried to entice her.

“
He picked you. And you deserve to be happy. No one does more than you.”

Her words touched my hea
rt. Desi was always a good friend, through thick and thin.

“You aren’t canceling,” she said
again.

Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. “I don’t
have his number—damn.”

“And you better not stand him up.”

“He’s picking me up. There isn’t much I can do at this point.”

“Yes,” she said excitedly. “The sex is going to be hot. I know it.”

“We aren’t having sex.”

“With a dreamy guy like that, there’s no way you’d keep your legs closed.”

I laughed. “Cash is going to wish he picked you instead of me.”

Chapter Eight

♬

Cash Matthews

Why was I nervous to go on a date? I never was. But this girl made me nervous as hell. I guess it’s because I wanted her so badly.

And I mean, bad.

When my limo pulled up to the house, I adjusted my tie then stepped out. The apartment complex was right next to my office. She could see the food trucks where I had lunch every day right outside her window. That w
ould be convenient when I wanted to come over for a quickie.

I’m getting ahead of myself here.

I still had to get the girl before I started planning all the places I’d fuck her.

I reached her apartment then knocked on the door. I sent her flowers earlier that afternoon, and I hoped that made her more interested in me, the sweet and gentle side of me. I’d give her anything she wanted if she decided to be mine.

And I mean anything.

The door opened, but it wasn’t Prudence on the other side. It was Gavin. And he looked pissed.

“Hello,” I said politely. “It’s nice to see you again.” I extended my hand.

He glared at it before he returned his g
aze to my face. “Are you stalking her?”

If I wasn’t so intent on landing my muse, this guy would already be on the ground. And he should be grateful for that. “Is she ready?” I decided to ignore his comment entirely.

“Who’s at the door?” someone shouted from inside.

I recognized
Prudence’s voice. I stared Gavin down, waiting for him to announce my presence.

The door was pulled ajar and Prudence appeared. When I saw her from head to toe, my heart accelerated. Her hair was pulled back, revealing the beautiful contours of her face. Her lips were
bright red, and her eyes were dark with makeup. The black dress she wore was tight, forming to her every curve. Her breasts were large and round, and her legs were long. She turned around and grabbed her purse. The sky-high heels made her ass look even nicer.

God, she looked beautiful. Damn beautiful.

Gavin eyed her appearance but didn’t seem happy about it. “Is he bothering you?”

“What?” she asked. “No.”

He eyed me again before he left the entryway. I heard a door slam a moment later. The puppy probably returned to his hole to cry.

Prudence grabbed her clutch then stepped out of the apartment. “Sorry about that
…”

“It’s okay.”

No, it wasn’t. I was pissed.

The lead guitarist in her band was just as obsessed with her as I was. Which was a big problem for me since they were living together. The jealousy burned inside me but I kept it back. It was far too early to reveal my true colors. “You look exceptional.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

I extended my arm. “Shall we?”

She hooked hers through mine.

“Did you get my flowers?”

“They were beautiful.” She held onto my arm as we walked down the hallway.  Even though her heels were high, she still walked gracefully. It didn’t seem like she had a problem with them. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

The driver opened the door when we reached the street. I helped Prudence get inside before I sat beside her. As soon as we were alone in the tinted limo, my desire came forth. I eyed her thigh and longed to touch it. I thought about her thin lips and yearned to suck them with my own. My cock sprang to life immediately. I adjusted myself discreetly and hoped she wouldn’t notice. A girl had never given me a hard-on like this. And I liked it.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“McCormicks. It’s a steak house.”

“That sounds good.”

“How was your day?” I asked.

“It was relaxing. We didn’t have to prepare for a show or practice for the first time in a while
.”

“You deserve to rest.”

She rested her hands in her lap. “And how was your day?”

The studio had another rewrite for the show, which Julia wasn’t happy abou
t. I refused to put my name on crap, but it seemed like my staff didn’t share the same enthusiasm. If they didn’t like it, they could get another job.

It was a stressful day. When I
ate lunch at the park, I stared at her window, hoping to get a peek of her in a towel after a hot shower. The longer I spent time with Prudence, the more I realized how much of a disgusting pervert I was. A big one. “It was pretty ordinary.” I couldn’t think of much more to say. Since she knew what business investors did, I couldn’t bullshit through a fake story. That’s the problem with smart girls. You can’t play them.

We arrived at the restaurant then took our seats in a secluded corner. I made re
servations prior and organized a private dinner. I wanted her all to myself, and the privacy to say what I wanted, when I wanted.

I pulled out her chair before she sat down. When her ass touched the seat, I longed to be that cushion. I hadn’t had the opportunity to get a good look at that
bit of muscle yet, but I would at the first opportunity.  I sat across from her then blatantly stared at her gorgeous face.

I knew she
was uncomfortable with the stare when she grabbed the menu and hid her face. “Everything looks great.”

I didn’t drop my stare. I already knew what I wanted.

“Hmm…” she said.

“I usually get the filet mignon.”

“I don’t eat meat.”

Now I felt like an asshole. This date was already off to a bad start. “I apologize. I never would have
brought you here if I had known.”

“No,” she said quickly. “There are
always options at every restaurant, even a steak house.”

“I still should have asked.”

“It’s fine, really.” She looked through the pages. “The vegetable Alfredo looks good.”

Even though she found something she wanted, I still felt like an idiot. I really, really wanted to score with this girl. And being an insensitive jerk wasn’t the best way to go about it.

“I’m just glad you aren’t ridiculing me for being a vegetarian.”

“Why would I?”

“In London, it’s not very common. I was teased all the time.”

I could never get tired of her accent. It was so sexy. I wanted to ask her an elaborate question just to hear a ridiculously long explanation. “Well, I have no qualms with your diet preferences. A lot of people I know
are vegetarians.”

“That’s a relief. I hoped I’d fit in here.”

“How could you not? A gorgeous musician? You’re meant to be here.”

“We’ll see…”

When the waiter took our orders, he took the menus too. Now my muse couldn’t hide from me. I could stare at her all night. My gaze lingered on her eyes then her lips. I fantasized about how they would feel against my mouth.

When the
intensity became too much, she looked down.

“Do I make you uncomfortable?”

“Yes.”

I was surprised by her honest
y. “I’m sorry. It’s hard to stop.”

“I’m just not used to it.”

I held back a laugh. “I’m sure it happens all the time.”

“It doesn’t. People may look at me, but it’s never in this type of situation.”

“What type of situation is this?”

The waiter brought the wine and glasses. I slid her glass
to her.

“Across a table in an intimate setting.” She rested her hands in her lap and met my gaze.

Did that mean she didn’t date often? If it did, that could be a good thing. Or a bad thing. “You don’t get out much?”

For the first time that night, she looked sincerely uncomfortable. She shifted her weight in her seat twice. There was clearly something on her mind, and I patiently waited for her to reveal it.

“I have a confession to make…”

My heart accelerated while I waited.
I hoped she wasn’t going to reject me, end the relationship before it even began. I couldn’t handle that. Living in this city and working in this business, beautiful women were easy to come by. But they were nothing compared to Prudence. She was elegant and classy, talented and smart, humble and fun. God, I couldn’t lose her. I barely knew her and I was obsessed to the point of insanity. A beautiful gem had come into my life, and I wasn’t eager to let it slip through my fingers and disappear into the sand.

She fidgeted with her hands, prolonging the rest of her sentence. I was clenching my fist under the ta
ble, anxious for her next words but fearful at the same time.

“I’m not looking for a relationship.”

What? Did I hear her right? I was not expecting that. I assumed that’s all she wanted. She seemed too refined to sleep around with strangers, or be intimate with someone unless she was in a committed relationship. It was exactly what I wanted, but I expected to have to convince her to give in to me. This never happened before. Most of the time, women begged for something more. But she was different… “I see.” I hid my happiness and played it cool. “Why is that?”

Her awkwardness continued. “It’s a long and boring story. Not a tale worth telling.”

I liked how she chose her words. They always seemed to rhyme slightly. She was a true musician.

She clenched her fingers together in her lap then avoided my gaze. A look o
f dark despair overcame her. It was momentary, but I noticed it. And it hurt. I immediately wanted to know her story, which was a first. Normally, I couldn’t care less.

“I’m so sorry if I wasted your time. I would have called but I didn’t have your number.”

“There’s no need for an apology,” I said gently. “And I would have wanted to see you anyway.”

“Really?”

“I love good company.”

Her cheeks tinted.

“I’m not looking for a relationship either.” I had to play this right if I wanted to get her. I treaded carefully, waiting for her response.

“Oh.”

That wasn’t much to work with. “It seems like we both desire the same thing, albeit for different reasons.”

“How would you know unless you knew what mine were?”

“I’m eager to know.” I sipped my wine while I stared at her. My statement was also a question, but that depended on her interpretation of it.

“So, what did you have in mind when you arranged our meeting?” Her voice had changed slightly. I couldn’t tell exactly what that meant. She seemed slightly annoyed.

“I wanted to have a conversation with you. That’s all.”

“No expectations?”

“None.”

The waiter brought our dinner and set it down. The veggie
Alfredo didn’t look appetizing to me, but I didn’t make the comment. My meal looked delicious. My steak was red in the middle like I preferred, but I didn’t care about my food. I wanted to eat something else, something with brown hair, blue eyes, and long legs.

She folded her napkin in her lap then held her silverware like a princess. She had good manners, which I liked. I hated slobs. Prudence was too good to be true. She must have an imperfection somewhere.

“What did you have in mind when I picked you up for dinner?” I cut into my steak and studied her face.

“Nothing. I just wanted to eat.” She smiled at me then placed the pasta into her mouth.

I’ll give you something to eat.

I shook my sinister thoughts away before
they got out of hand. I liked her easy-going personality. I could tell it was her dominant attitude, but right now it was hidden because she was nervous around me. But I liked when she was nervous. I had control of the relationship.

After talking about a lot of nothing and a few somethings, I wanted to get to the point of our meeting.

“I’d really like to go out with you again.” I grabbed the tab off the table and slipped the cash inside. I left a hundred dollar tip on the table. I wanted Prudence to see it.

She eyed the cash then returned her gaze to me. I patiently waited for her to respond
and repeat the same thing back. The anxiety was killing me. “You’re good company.”

Okay. What did that mean? She must be playing hard to get. Fine. We’ll play. “I’m even better company when you get to know me. I have two tickets to see Adele
next weekend. I’d love it if you’d accompany me.” That was a lie. I didn’t have tickets, but I could get them easily. I wasn’t sure what music she was into, but I knew she’d know who Adele was, especially since she was a resident of Adele’s fine nation.

When her eyes widened, I knew I hit the jackpot. If she didn’t want to see
me anymore, I knew this would make her question her decision. “You do?”

I nodded. “Is that a yes?”

“Umm…I’m not going to say no to Adele.”

“Your voice reminds me of hers.”

“Wow.”

“What?”

“That’s a huge compliment.”

“And I meant it.” Now this date was getting better. I was starting to feel her out, understand her better. I wanted to take her back to my place, but I didn’t think she’d accept. Not yet, anyway.