Chapter Fourteen #2
She gazed into warm brown eyes, the pupils dilating, and offered him her lips. Then, with one hand cradling her bottom, the other at her nape, he took her breath and gave her his.
It didn’t matter that her brothers and Kevin were on the running trail beside them, that his bandmates and total strangers might be watching. So enthralled by the taste of his tongue, the feeling of his hard body molded against hers, Gina gave no thought to the breeze at her backside.
With his fingers threading through her hair, Matt softly growled in her ear.
Teo cleared his throat.
Matt smiled, and pressing another kiss to her lips, he eased her down and fixed her dress.
Her brother’s boyfriend held up his hand, wiggling his fingers with an amused grin. “Hiya, Matt.”
“Hey, Kev.”
“You two know each other?”
Duh. Of course, they do.
“Why are you so surprised, bunny?” Matt brushed the hair from her face, tucking a strand behind her ear. “Kev’s sister is married to one of my dearest friends, and his aunt has a thing going with another. We’re just one big, beautiful, happy family here, and now, you’re all a part of it, too.”
She glanced over at her brothers’ eager faces.
“C’mon, let’s say hi to the boys and grab some food.” His hand dropped to curl around her shoulder, fingers pressing into her skin. “You’ve got to be starving. I know I am.”
Gina wasn’t sure what she expected inside the band’s tent, but it wasn’t anything quite like this. Plush sofas. Fancy catering and blessed air-conditioning.
The man approaching them was so tall that her neck bent back to look up at him. Dark auburn hair. Ice-blue eyes. From the recesses of her childhood memories, only one person fit the bill. “Gina, so good to see you again.”
“You remember Brendan, don’t you?”
“It’s been a long time.” With a wink to Matt, Brendan leaned in to hug her. “The last time I saw her, she was just a little girl.”
“You drove a ’Vette,” Gina said. “Silver, as I recall.”
“Still do.” He chuckled.
“This is my brother, Matteo.” The introductions probably weren’t necessary, but Brendan hadn’t been around since they were kids, and she reasoned he might need a refresher. “My brother, Luca, and his friend, Kevin.”
“Uh, Gina.” Kev tapped her shoulder. “Brendan’s my brother-in-law. You know, Katie’s husband.”
“Yeah, I know.” Gosh, I’m such an idiot. “Not sure why I said that.”
“Nerves, huh?”
Shut up, Kevin.
“I know she remembers me.” The goofball Gina once enjoyed pestering wrapped her in a warm embrace. “Don’t you, pizza girl?”
She giggled. “How could I forget you, Bo?”
“You couldn’t.” And he tugged on the ends of her waves. “I forgive you for pulling my hair, by the way. Now, where’s my kiss?”
She went to place one on his cheek, but the bare-chested drummer turned his face, and it landed on his lips instead.
“Don’t mind him. Dude wants a kiss from everybody.
” He pressed one of his own to her temple, and laughing, Matt moved her along.
“It’s too bad his daughter is home with a tummy bug, or you could’ve met her—Ava, too.
You will soon, though. I have a feeling the two of you are going to be the best of friends. ”
Her gaze flicked up to meet his. Eyes of rich, warm chocolate invited her inside their fathomless depths. They alone told her what words never could.
With an infant on his chest, Venery’s lead guitar player lounged on one of the comfy-looking sofas.
He seemed larger than life to her when he was a teenager, as had all of Tony’s friends, and that hadn’t changed.
His jet-black hair was longer than it used to be, and ink covered his mocha skin, but even if she hadn’t seen those photos in Revolver, Gina would’ve known instantly it was him.
“Hello, Taylor,” she greeted him, smiling down at the baby. “It’s been a while.”
“Gina Rossi, it has indeed. You’ve turned out to be quite the lovely young lady.” He sat up, holding onto the baby, and lifted his chin toward the man leaning against the sofa’s arm, a toddler balanced on his hip. “Do you know my husband, Jesse Nolan?”
She knew his marriage wasn’t of the typical variety, and according to the media, Taylor wasn’t married at all—not legally, anyway.
He and Jesse shared a wife. They had children together.
As unusual as that might be to some people, it must work for them.
One evening, when Lina stayed home and their parents had gone up to bed, Tony told her he envied them for the love they had for each other.
He may have been a little drunk, but it struck her as oddly telling.
Gina extended her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Good to meet you, too.” Jesse shook it. “I went to school with your brother, Nick.”
Jeez, did everybody know the Rossi brothers? Apparently, so. They might live in a big city, but their neighborhood was relatively small.
“Jesse is also Brendan’s cousin,” Kevin whispered, dipping into her ear. “Dillon’s too, but I don’t see him here.”
Ah, the Byrne cousins. Got it.
“Tony said he went to your wedding,” she said, still shaking hands. “You’ve got a couple of kids now, too, I see.”
“Yeah, our son, Chandan, will be three on Wednesday. Ireland’s fifteen months.” Then, Jesse called out to a stunning redhead across the room, “C’mere, babe, Matt’s girl is here.”
“Our wife, Chloe.” Her brother didn’t exaggerate. The adoration he held for Jesse and his wife was there in Taylor’s eyes. “Chloe, this is Gina.”
“Oh, I’ve been dying to meet you.” The bubbly girl, who couldn’t have been much older than herself, hugged her like a lifelong friend she hadn’t seen in ages. “I know you from somewhere, don’t I?”
She looked familiar, but if she attended to her baby’s delivery, Gina didn’t remember it. And with two husbands, she surely would have.
“You, I know.” Chloe giggled. “How’s it going, Luca?”
“He’s Gina’s brother,” Matt said, slinging his arm around the boy’s neck.
“Rossi’s, of course.” Nodding, Chloe took the baby from her husband’s arms. “That must be where I’ve seen you before.”
Could be.
“Well, welcome to the madness.”
Thanks?
“Let’s get you some dinner.” Leading her away from Chloe, Matt took them toward the buffet. “Besides, you seem a bit overwhelmed.”
“Maybe a little.”
“C’mon, I got you.” And with a squeeze around her shoulders, he kissed the top of her head. “It can be a lot all at once.”
Rock stars ate well. Prime rib. Shrimp the size of prawns in a lemon-butter sauce. While Matt piled everything there was on his plate, Gina took a small serving of the scampi and some salad. With her belly still doing flip-flops, she didn’t dare eat more than that.
“Well, if it isn’t little Miss Trouble.” Half-naked, the godlike cretin appraised her, strumming his fingers up and down his sculpted chest. “My, my, my, you have grown up, haven’t you?”
“Cut the shit, Sloan.” Glaring at him, Matt pulled out her chair.
“What? She’s quite pretty.” Sloan waited for Matt to sit down, then leaned into his ear. “I get it now, man.”
“Hey, Gina.” Kit raised his bottle of beer in a salute. “Ignore him. That’s what we do.”
“I will not.” With a sharp thrust of her chin, she set down her fork, and taking a deep breath, Gina haughtily stared into haunted blue eyes. “Why’d you call me that?”
“Because you’re both asking for it.” Sloan just smirked, his head dipping to the side. “How’s Tony been? Haven’t seen him in a while.”
“Oh, I see.” And ignoring Matt’s hand squeezing her thigh, she flashed the voice of Venery her coldest smile. “Tony’s not my dad; he’s my brother, but even if he were, like you said, I’m all grown up.”
“Heh, guess she told you.” Kit leaned back in his chair and drained his beer.
She should’ve expected it. Gina couldn’t be mad at Sloan for it. He just had the balls to come out and say what everyone else was probably thinking, and suddenly she lost what little appetite she had.
“Is there a restroom somewhere?”
“Our bus is here.” Matt laced his fingers with hers. “C’mon, I’ll take you.”
Gina took a few calming breaths in the tiny bathroom. Fuck Tony. Matt was worth any trouble that might come her way. Then, she blotted the shine on nose and opened the door. “Sloan doesn’t like me.”
“He likes you.”
“Well, he doesn’t like us together,” she countered, stepping past him.
Matt pulled her to his chest and cradled her face. “No, he’s concerned Tony won’t like us together.”
“My brother doesn’t get to have an opinion.”
“I’ve been friends with Tony for most of my life, and you’re his baby sister. He loves you.” Matt caressed her cheeks. “He’s going to have one.”
“It won’t be good.”
“It’ll be fine, baby, I promise.”
Then his lips were on hers. Slipping his tongue inside her mouth, fingertips skated down her spine and up her bare back to grab a fistful of hair at her nape. Matt pulled on it and pushed her into the lounge at the back of the bus, deepening their kiss as he went.
“You’re so beautiful. I can’t decide whether to tear this pretty dress off you or fuck you in it.” His teeth scored down her neck, a deep rumbling sound coming up from his throat. “God, I’m dying to fuck you.”
Like she wasn’t? It had been a month since she’d stood at his door with that damn pizza. Every cell in Gina’s body was screaming at her to give herself to him. She wouldn’t, though, because somehow she knew Matt didn’t want an eager offering. He needed to claim her.
“So, is this where all that legendary rock star sex happens?”
“Nope.” And catching his breath, he chuckled. “We have a rule. No fucking on the bus.”
“Seriously?”
He pulled the thin white straps down her shoulders, and exposing her breasts, Matt lowered his head to suck on her nipple.
“But some rules are made to be broken,” he rasped, sliding his hand underneath her dress. “Give me that pussy, bunny.”
His fingers felt so fucking good inside her.
“But you’ve got a show in twenty minutes.”
“And I can make you come in five.”