Next Thing You Know (With the Band #4)

Prologue

Beau

Icouldn’t stop staring at Dean Frost. He was stunningly beautiful, with bright green eyes and hair dyed to match.

Then he laughed.

He threw his head back, his lips curved up into a smile that nearly split his face.

I was absolutely sure that time stood still.

Dean Frost was beautiful perfection. It was like sunshine shot from his body and straight into mine.

Lighting me up from the outside in. But I had promised my teammate, Jackson Olson, who was now engaged to Dean’s brother, Maverick, I would stay away.

There was something about Dean, though. From the moment I had seen him at practice, I couldn’t look away.

When Dean caught me staring, he didn’t shy away.

He lifted his chin in a friendly manner, then went back to his conversation.

I was well aware of who he was, the guitar player for Mulligan Downtown.

He was also Maverick Frost’s brother. Maverick Frost, who my teammate Jackson Olson had been in love with since they were kids.

Rockstars weren’t normally my thing. I liked to keep my hookups to people that weren’t famous.

People who didn’t invite the paparazzi just by showing up.

But Dean was different. Which was why I couldn’t stop staring.

When Dean headed toward where I was standing by the bar, I knew that he wasn’t coming to speak to me. His glass was empty, and he obviously needed a refill. He ordered his beer and then turned to look at me, a smirk tugging at his plush petal-pink lips.

“You’re teammates with Jax.” His voice sent shivers up my spine as he leaned forward to speak in my ear. It was soft, but still masculine. “Refresh my memory. Which one are you again?”

Was he flirting with me right now?

“Beau,” I answered.

Up close, he was even more handsome. The skin on his face was creamy white, but his neck and arms were covered in colorful ink. I wondered if the rest of his body was tattooed. Thoughts of peeling back his clothes filtered into my head, but I pushed them away.

“Aw, right. The captain.” Dean grinned, exposing a set of even white teeth.

My brows shot up. “You follow hockey?”

“A little. I mean, Jax and Tommy were huge into the sport when we were kids. I was dragged to more than a few games because of my brother.” Dean took the beer the bartender handed him, but when he went to grab his wallet, I stopped him and quickly handed over my card.

Dean nudged my arm. “Already buying me a drink. What’s next? Dinner and flowers?”

“Maybe.”

His eyes went wide, and his shoulders tensed.

“I’m kidding,” I assured him, and Dean relaxed. “Just something a friend would do.”

“A friend? Is that what we are now?”

“Yeah, a friend. I’m sure we’re going to be seeing quite a bit of one another now that your brother and Jax are engaged. You’ll come to Boston. You might need someone to show you around.”

Dean dipped his head and gave me a shy smile, a blush appearing on his cheeks. Shit, he was cute. “I have my brother for that.”

“Maybe you’ll want to give him some space.

You know, so that he can be alone with his fiancé.

” I wasn’t lying about that part. I had plenty of married teammates and friends who complained about how inconvenient it was to have sex with their visiting family in the next room. I had been that guy once, too.

He flushed. “Oh... Uh... Right.”

He took a long swallow of his beer before he spoke again, and I enjoyed watching the movement of his Adam’s apple. Imagined sucking on it. Licking it. Biting it. My dick twitched in my pants.

“You’re probably right about that. I’m staying with my buddy right now, Killian, and his fiancé, and honestly, they have the loudest sex I have ever heard. Kind of embarrassing.”

“For you or him?”

His ears burned red, and he gave a nervous chuckle. “Both.” He gripped the back of his neck. “I should invest in some earplugs or noise-canceling headphones while I’m here. I left mine back home. I usually use them on the bus when we’re touring.”

“Probably a good idea.” I tilted my head, soaking every inch of him in. I bet he smelled good, too. “And where is home?”

Dean took another swig of his beer. “California. You know, the whole rockstar thing.” He rolled his eyes.

“I’ve never really cared for it much. California, I mean,” I told him, and I meant it.

Boston was a busy city, but at least I could relax at home or hang out with some friends. In California, everyone seemed fake. A little plastic. Just trying to make a name for themselves and walking all over anyone who gave them a second.

He shrugged. “It’s not for everyone, but I have a nice little house right on the beach. I surf in the mornings when I’m home. I’m not very good at it, but I enjoy it. Helps me find that inner chi or whatever.”

“You surf?”

And now all I could picture was Dean in a wetsuit.

One that clung to every single inch of his body.

He had a nice one, too. Lean and toned, with biceps that were corded with thick muscle, pushing the boundaries of his t-shirt.

I tried to ignore the semi I was now sporting and the fact that these dress pants were not very forgiving.

He threw back his head and laughed, giving me the perfect view of his neck. The urge to mark him was stronger than it should be. It wasn’t just the way Dean’s face lit up, but it was the beautiful sound he made.

“I know I’m small, but I’m strong. And it takes skill to stay on that board. Just like it takes the same for you to skate the way you do.”

“You ever skate?” I asked, trying to change the subject and calm my cock.

He nodded. “Uh, duh. Jackson and Tommy forced us all to try to play hockey with them. I wasn’t terrible, but I wasn’t good.”

“Tommy?” I growled. That was the second time he had brought that name up.

Dean finished his beer. “Jackson’s brother.”

“Oh, shit, the brother.”

I knew all about Jax’s younger protégé brother. I had met him a handful of times, even played him a couple of times before the accident. The accident that had ended his career just as it started to take off.

Dean placed his empty glass on the counter. “We should exchange numbers. You know, if you ever wanted to try to surf when you visit California again. Or show me around Boston when I come up there.”

“I’m a little old for the trying to surf thing, but we’ll see.

” I was pushing forty, and my body was already angry with me for continuing to play hockey the way I did.

I slid my phone from my pocket, unlocked it, and held it out.

This was a terrible idea, but I couldn’t stop myself.

“Add your number.” When Dean handed me back my phone, I texted him. “And now we’re officially friends.”

“What’s your favorite movie and band?” Dean asked. “I mean, if we’re friends, I need to know these sorts of things.”

I chuckled. “If I don’t say Mulligan, does that mean we’re not? Friends, I mean.”

“You don’t have to say my band.” Dean dropped his chin and looked up at me with those emerald-green eyes. “But it might drop the coolness level down a bit.”

Suddenly Jackson appeared out of nowhere, all big and imposing, like he was on the ice. “I told you to leave him alone, Beau,” he warned. His eyes had narrowed into angry slits. He looked pissed.

“Hey, you’re kind of loud.” Maverick placed a hand on Jackson’s arm.

Jackson tried to wave him off. “Dean isn’t like you.”

“What is he talking about?” Maverick turned to his brother.

Dean shrugged as he caught my eye. “I don’t know. We were just talking. About surfing and music and then we exchanged numbers. Then Jackson stormed over here all caveman like.”

“Delete it,” Jax demanded as he poked me in the chest. “Now.”

I pushed him away as my blood pressure shot up. “Fuck off. You’re not the boss of him. He’s not your brother. He’s Maverick’s.”

“He might as well be my brother.” Jackson was suddenly chest to chest with me, towering over me like an angry giant. He was bigger than I was, bulkier, and I had never seen him look so furious with me before. It was scary as hell. “Don’t think I didn’t see you exchange numbers. Dean isn’t—”

I shoved at Jackson with both of my hands.

“Don’t,” I warned.

I wasn’t out. I dated women in public and fucked men behind closed doors.

I had my son to think about, and I didn’t want to put that on him.

Not when he was becoming a star of his own.

“You win.” My eyes darted over to where Dean was standing, his brows furrowed and worry lines all over his face.

“I’m sorry.” I slipped away from the three of them and made my way out of the bar.

Once I was back at my hotel room, I took off my suit, hung it up, and changed into a pair of sweats. I grabbed another beer from the fridge, sat down on the couch, and unlocked my phone. The message that had arrived while I was changing caught me off guard. I should ignore it.

Unknown: What happened back at the bar? What got Jackson so upset?

Unknown: It’s Dean btw.

I shook my head. This was a bad idea. I should block him now before things got out of hand. Jackson was right. I should stay away.

Beau: You should listen to your soon-to-be brother-in-law and stay away from me. I’m no good for you.

Dean: I’m an adult and able to make my own decisions. Why are you bad for me? Oh, are you a secret serial killer? But a cool one, like Dexter. Do you only kill bad people?

Dean: You don’t look like a serial killer, though.

Beau: I’m not a serial killer. Should I be worried that you would think that about me? And what exactly does one look like?

Dean: IDK. Not you. They usually have shifty eyes.

Beau: You know a lot?

Dean: Maybe I’m the serial killer. Did you ever think about that?

Beau: Well, you don’t look like one either. You’re much too pretty.

Dean: That’s the way I lure you in. With all my prettiness. Wait a second. You think I’m pretty?

Beau: It’s your smile.

Dean: Not my hair? Everyone is obsessed with my hair. Sometimes I think I should dye it a different color and see if that’s really why they like me. Or shave it off.

Beau: Your hair is nice, but your entire face lights up when you smile. That’s the first thing I noticed about you. But don’t shave it. You should grow it out longer.

Jackson was going to be furious when he found out about this.

That Dean had texted me after I deleted his number.

That I was flirting with him. And that we texted back and forth for the next couple of hours before Dean told me he had to get some sleep.

I realized that I kind of liked him. And that I was fucked.